OHIO to launch THRIVE initiative Sept. 8

While college can be some of the most memorable years of one’s life, it can also be overwhelming and stressful. It’s easy to have well-being take a back seat to what appear to be more pressing priorities such as homework, tests, and other academic deadlines; all the while sacrificing one’s own need for comfort and happiness.

To combat this, OHIO is launching the new initiative THRIVE, an initiative focused on the well-being of all Bobcats.

The core mission of THRIVE is to provide services, events and programs that show genuine care for the well-being of students. By doing so it allows students the space to decompress and enjoy the little things that often go overlooked in life’s hustle. In turn, students are able to take care of themselves at the most basic levels, and thus thrive.

“Students have a lot to process as they transition into the college lifestyle, and it’s important that they remember to take care of themselves first,” interim Dean of Students Kathy Fahl said. “This initiative offers many opportunities to do that, and we believe students who take advantage of these options will have a better chance for success in the long run.”

The official THRIVE launch date is Thursday, Sept. 8, and will be followed by a weekend of events, including sunrise yoga, a “wind-down pop-up,” a hike at Old Man’s Cave in Hocking Hills State Park and a bouldering day trip.

THRIVE is centered on two main pillars: CARE and CONNECT.

CARE includes the essentials that all humans need to establish well-being: food, housing, safety and financial stability. By tapping the University’s broad range of resources, students are provided access food, emergency housing, a crisis line, counseling, the Emergency Student Fund and sexual assault survivor advocate support. By ensuring that students’ basic needs are met, they can establish a firm and stable foundation that will afford them the ability to pursue more enjoyable and rewarding activities.

CONNECT provides students the means and opportunities to build the relationships that give life its color, whether that be people, places or moments. To CONNECT embodies a wide range of activities, whether that be joining a campus organization, attending events, finding a quiet moment to oneself or being active.

“There are many paths to well-being, as each student’s experience will be different,” said Mark Ferguson, Executive Director of University Well-being and Recreation. “Each student is encouraged to find their own path and prioritize their own well-being.”

Inspired by the success of OHIO’s Make Respect Visible initiative, THRIVE is sort of a cousin aimed at student well-being. But where Make Respect Visible informs how Bobcats treat each other, THRIVE aims to shape how Bobcats treat themselves.

While well-being can be defined in many ways, OHIO defines it using these four categories:

• Fundamental. This means regular access to food, safe housing environments and financial security.
• Social. To advocate for the well-being in oneself and others and reject prejudice and bias.
• Personal. To actively make positive choices and engage in meaningful experiences to connect with others.
• University-wide. OHIO-based support systems and resources.

A central feature of THRIVE is totally free, personalized well-being coaching sessions through Well-being and Recreation. The personalized coaching allows students to learn and employ positive strategies from trained professionals that focus on their strengths and set realistic goals tailored to the unique circumstances of each student’s life and schedule.

Sessions will help students execute healthy strategies to improve sleep, nutrition and hydration, physical activity, time and stress management, productivity, self-esteem, and gratitude, as well as provide social support systems.

Though THRIVE can tap the University’s wide array of resources to provide support, it also encourages Bobcats to develop a relationship with one of life’s most universal resources: nature. THRIVE leans heavily on the healing powers of being in and connecting with nature to provide students with a sense of wonderment and natural abundance. By utilizing resources at Outdoor Pursuits students engaged in THRIVE are able to partake in exploring West Virginia’s Dolly Sods Wilderness, stargaze around an open fire and backpack the legendary Appalachian Trail.

Care isn’t a passive luxury, it’s an essential. By utilizing both self-care and the support system at OHIO, Bobcats will THRIVE.