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Wellness Week

A page within Wellness & Health Advocacy

Mental Health & Well-Being

Call 608.785.8073 and press 1 for 24/7 mental health crisis support. Explore the Mantra Health Care Hub, your digital gateway to flexible mental healthcare, peer support, and self-guided wellness content!

Stay Connected

Have questions about health and well-being at UWL or the Peer Health Advocates? Email wellness@uwlax.edu

Practice wellness this week, and every week!

Wellness Week, October 5-9, 2026, is the perfect opportunity to dedicate a little extra time to your health and well-being. Follow the official campaign on Instagram to learn about resources and opportunities to participate.

  • University of Wisconsin-La Crosse @uwlax
  • Wellness & Health Advocacy @uwlpeerhealth
  • Counseling & Testing Center @uwlctc
  • REC Sports @uwlrec

We can practice wellness every week with these helpful tips:

  • Dedicate time to your mental health by practicing stress management techniques, exploring mindfulness, or seeking support.
  • Enhance your physical well-being by trying a new form of exercise, taking a break from alcohol and other drugs, or making a healthy meal.
  • Support your academic and career well-being by staying caught up on assignments or exploring new opportunities.
  • Celebrate your spiritual wellness by attending a religious service or spending time in nature.

Wellness Week Events

Monday: Mindfulness and Balance

Movie Monday with Campus Activities Board

  • Union Theater at 7pm 

Money Matters with It Makes Cents

  • Murphy Library Room 121 at 12pm 

Pickleball Rally & Relax with REC Sports

  • Hetzel Fieldhouse at 6pm
  • Grab a paddle and get ready to rally! Come play casual pickleball, rotate partners every 15 minutes, and meet some new people along the way. A free, low-pressure way to get moving, make friends, and take a break during Wellness Week! 
Tuesday: Finances and Basic Needs

Howie’s Bingo with It Makes Cents

  • Howie’s at 8pm
  • Learn about It Makes Cents, play bingo, and win prizes (must 21+)! 

Intro to Mindfulness with Issy

Don’t Get Sidelined: Injury Prevention for Everyday Athletes with REC Sports 

  • REC Lobby, 2:30-4:30pm
  • Want to stay active without getting sidelined? Stop by our injury prevention table for quick, practical tips to help keep your body moving and feeling its best! Learn simple ways to reduce your risk of common aches and overuse injuries like shin splints, while picking up easy stretches, mobility programs, and strengthening exercises you can incorporate into your everyday routine. Whether you’re a runner, gym-goer, recreational athlete, or just trying to be more active, come on by! No workout clothes are required.

Walk with Officer Bear and University Police

  • Meet in the REC Lobby at 4pm
  • Join Officer Bear, UWL’s police dog, for a fun and relaxed walk around campus! Get moving, enjoy some fresh air, and spend time with one of UWL’s favorite four-legged campus community members. 

Hammock & S'mores Hangout with REC Sports 

  • Between Wing & Centennial Hall, 4-6pm
  • Come hang out with Outdoor Connection to de-stress and find your balance by spending intentional time in nature. Roast marshmallows and sway in a hammock while enjoying connection and community.
Wednesday: Fitness and Nutrition

Women’s Soccer vs UW-River Falls 

  • Roger Harring Stadium Track, Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex at 6pm 

Feel Good Foods with Chartwells

  • Whitney Center, 11am-1pm
  • Sample Mushroom Crostini and discover how nutritious foods can also be flavorful, satisfying, and easy to enjoy. Pick up simple ideas for incorporating feel-good food into your everyday routine. 

Fueling for Performance with Chartwells  

  • REC Fitness Center, 3:30-5:15pm
  • Learn how to fuel your body for energy, recovery, and peak performance. Stop by and explore practical nutrition strategies for before, during, and after activity. Pick up tips you can use to support your workouts and overall well-being! 

Pause & Flow with REC Sports 

  • Drake Field at 5pm
  • Step outside and take time to reset with an experience that blends guided mindfulness, gentle yoga, and intentional movement in the outdoors. Slow down, reconnect with your body and surroundings, and leave feeling more grounded, present, and refreshed. No experience necessary; mats provided. Free and open to drop-ins.
Thursday: Academic Well-Being
Fall Colors Pantone Walk with REC Sports
  • REC Lobby at 4pm
  • Take a colorful break and explore campus with the Rec Sports Fall Colors Pantone Walk! Grab a color card, head outside, and see how many fall-inspired shades you can match to leaves, trees, and other seasonal sights along the way. 
Education Abroad 101 with International Education & Engagement
  • 1140 Centennial Hall at 4pm
  • Learn about the many different programs that UWL has to study abroad/away and how to begin your program search. 
Friday: Sleep, Stress, and Anxiety
Campus Life Connect with campus resources
Wellness Monthly Read the newsletter

Explore the Seven Dimensions of Wellness

Emotional

Emotional expanders

Benefits
  • Human Resources
    • Retirement and savings plans
    • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
    • Life and accident insurance
    • Leave benefits
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  • The employee assistance program is a free, confidential service to UWL employees, their dependents, and anyone living in their household.

Physical

Expanders

Benefits
  • Human Resources
    • Retirement and savings plans
    • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
    • Life and accident insurance
    • Leave benefits
Dining & Catering
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  • The employee assistance program is a free, confidential service to UWL employees, their dependents, and anyone living in their household.
Outdoor Equipment
  • Outdoor Equipment Rental; Outdoor Resource Library: maps, guide books, instruction and periodicals; Outdoor Equipment purchasing advice; Outdoor Trips and Clinics; Outdoor skills training; Lectures and Seminars; Green Bike Rental Program
Rec Sports Memberships
  • Membership includes: access to the REC Strength Center, track-side cardiovascular and strength equipment, 200 meter track, courts, climbing wall, racquetball courts, multipurpose room, and conditioning room; access to the Mitchell Hall pool; reduced rental and trip rates at the Outdoor Connection; ability to sponsor guests (up to 3 per visit) for appropriate guest fee; eligibility to play intramural sports; eligibility to utilize personal training services; ability to participate in family weekends
  • Avoid ‘busy times’ by following the live counts for the fitness center
Well Wisconsin Program
  • The Well Wisconsin Portal is available to employees, retirees and their spouses enrolled in the State of Wisconsin or Wisconsin Public Employers Group Health Insurance Programs. Access is based on the effective dates of your health insurance coverage. The wellness portal is not available to children or other dependents of the employee enrolled in State of Wisconsin Group Health Insurance Program. The services available to you through WebMD, including individual confidential health coaching, mental health support, condition management, and all of the tools in the portal, are provided at no cost to you.

    To access your WebMD ONE Portal, click here.

Well Wisconsin Incentive
  • The $150 Well Wisconsin Incentive is the uniform wellness incentive available to employees, retirees and their spouses currently enrolled in the State of Wisconsin or Wisconsin Public Employers Group Health Insurance Programs. 

    Complete a health check, the health assessment, and a well-being activity to earn the $150 gift card. You can complete these steps via your WebMD One portal account

    Click here to be redirected to the StayWell portal

Financial

Expanders

Benefits
  • Human Resources
    • Retirement and savings plans
    • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
    • Life and accident insurance
    • Leave benefits
Educational Assistance
  • Tuition reimbursement is available to all Academic Staff and Faculty who hold budgeted appointments of half time or greater and University Staff employees who hold project appointments or appointments with an expectation of continued employment. See full information here: Employee education assistance policy
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  • The employee assistance program is a free, confidential service to UWL employees, their dependents, and anyone living in their household.
Financial Planning
  • In addition to retirement & savings plans benefits, UWL employees have access to financial planning vendors associated with the UW Tax-Sheltered Annuity (TSA), i.e., 403(b) program: TIAA, Fidelity Investments , and Rowe Price
  • UWL employees can also utilize direct deposit from their payroll to contribute to Edvest (Wisconsin’s 529 College Savings Plan).
  • Additional resources for financial wellness are available through ETF

Spiritual

Spiritual expanders

Dining & Catering
Benefits
  • Human Resources
    • Retirement and savings plans
    • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
    • Life and accident insurance
    • Leave benefits
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  • The employee assistance program is a free, confidential service to UWL employees, their dependents, and anyone living in their household.

Social & cultural

Expanders

Athletic Events

Ticket information with faculty/staff discounts: https://uwlathletics.com/documents/2018/8/10/Ticket_Information_2018_19.pdf

Campus Bookstore
  • Bookstore. UWL apparel, gifts, decorations, and much more!  First floor of the Student Union
  • Online bookstore
Campus Activities Board
  • CAB provides cultural, educational and entertaining events for UW - La Crosse students, community, faculty and staff. 
    • CAB Events- free movies, performances and speakers
Murphy Library
Outdoor Equipment
  • Outdoor Equipment Rental; Outdoor Resource Library: maps, guide books, instruction and periodicals; Outdoor Equipment purchasing advice; Outdoor Trips and Clinics; Outdoor skills training; Lectures and Seminars; Green Bike Rental Program
Visual & Performing Arts

Environmental

Expanders

Environmental Health & Safety
  • UWL has a legal and financial obligation to provide and maintain a safe and healthful environment for our employees, students, guests, and residents of the community. Implementation of the Environmental Health and Safety Program is intended to achieve this goal.
Environmental Sustainability

Career & academic

Expanders

Educational Assistance
  • Tuition reimbursement is available to all Academic Staff and Faculty who hold budgeted appointments of half time or greater and University Staff employees who hold project appointments or appointments with an expectation of continued employment. See full information here: Employee education assistance policy
Professional Development

Emotional Wellness

Emotional wellness is a component of mental health along with psychological and social well-being. Mental health is how we think, feel, and act. Emotional wellness involves the ability to understand and share your feelings. This includes feelings of fear, anger, sadness, stress, disgust, hope, love, joy, happiness, and much more. Three important components of emotional wellness are awareness, acceptance, and management. This means:

  • Recognizing your feelings and the feelings of others,
  • Understanding the normality of human emotion and realistically assessing personal limitations,
  • And managing or coping with personal feelings and knowing how to seek support when necessary

Community Resources:

  • Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988
    • Call or text for 24/7 free and confidential support
  • La Crosse County Crisis Services: 608.784.4357
    • Local mental health support and evaluation of risk via phone and/or in person
  • Great Rivers 211 Helpline: 211 or 800.362.8255
    • Local support and connection to resources for meeting basic needs

Physical wellness is multidimensional and looks different for different people. Optimal physical wellness is a complex state of health and well-being that includes, but is not limited to, a properly functioning body. Taking care of your physical well-being requires physical activity, proper nutrition, avoiding misuse of alcohol and other substances, safe sexual health practices, proper sleep, professional medical attention when needed, and taking steps to prevent injury.

Components of Physical Wellness

Exercise & Fitness

Physical activity is vital for maintaining health. In addition to building muscle, improving endurance, strengthening bones, and improving one's ability to do everyday activities, regular exercise has been shown to decrease anxiety and stress, increase self-esteem, and improve academic performance.

It is recommended that adults perform at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity each week and resistance training for muscular fitness on 2-3 days each week.

Nutrition

Combining physical activity with quality food intake will maximize the benefits for physical well-being. While nutrition practices can look different, a healthy diet generally includes a variety of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy, lean meat, and other sources of protein. Carbohydrates, fat, and protein are the essential macronutrients we need for energy and to maintain the body's systems.

Along with a well-rounded diet, intuitive and mindful eating can be important components of nutrition. Intuitive eating is an approach to fueling, nourishing, and loving your body; mindful eating is a specific tool used to intentionally and purposefully engage in the eating process without judgement.

Alcohol and Other Drugs

Substance use can be a significant barrier to student success. We recognize that students may choose to participate in the consumption of alcohol and other drugs, so Wellness & Health Advocacy provides education and prevention strategies that promote safety and bystander intervention. Risk reduction is essential for fostering safer consumption and a community of responsible individuals.

Sexual Health

Sexual health is a state of physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being connected to sexuality. While sexual and reproductive health can be difficult to talk about, having informed conversations and practicing safer sexual habits can positively support overall well-being.

Pregnancy and STI Prevention

If you choose to participate in sexual activity, it is important to protect and respect yourself and your partners. For example, barrier methods are recommended for protection from sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies can be avoided with proper use of contraception.

Consent and Healthy Relationships

Consent is freely given words or overt actions that clearly communicate an individual’s agreement to engage in sexual activity. It should be specific and enthusiastic from all partners. Consent cannot be legally obtained if an individual is incapacitated due to alcohol or other drugs, is unconscious or asleep, or has impaired mental capacity.

Relationships should consist of mutual respect, open communication, honesty, and support for one another. Learn more about healthy relationships, consent, and sexual violence from Violence Prevention.

Sexuality and Gender Identity

How we identify and express our gender and sexuality are important components of sexual, reproductive, and relationship health.

Sleep

Sleep is a necessary and vital biological function that is essential to a person's physical and emotional well-being. Sleep benefits your immune system, helps repair your nervous system, and aids in hormone release. And proper sleep can help you stay healthy and can improve academic performance. It is recommended that adults sleep for 7 to 9 hours every night.

Medical Self-Care

Participating in medical self-care it vital for physical well-being. Attending regular physical exams, recognizing and responding to signs of disease, and utilizing professional medical services when needed are important components of taking care of one's health.

Money plays a critical role in our lives and financial stress is a common source of anxiety for college students. Financial wellness focuses on learning how to successfully manage the financial factors that impact well-being. This might mean budgeting, saving, investing, and exploring new financial concepts.

At its foundation, spiritual wellness is rooted in discovering a sense of meaningfulness in your life. It provides the capacity to love, have compassion for others, practice forgiveness, and feel joy. For some individuals, spiritual wellness might be connected to religious faith. For others, it might be tied to personal beliefs, values, ethics, morals, and/or a relationship with nature. Signs of a positive relationship with spiritual well-being include:

  • Having a sense of purpose in life
  • The ability to spend reflective time alone
  • Having a clear sense of right and wrong
  • Caring for and acting in the welfare of others
  • Practicing forgiveness and compassion 

Social and cultural wellness is the ability to establish relationships, relate to others, and connect positively with other people. The social dimension of well-being encourages us to contribute to our community, foster healthy relationships and build a supportive social network, value cultural diversity, and preserve safe cultural spaces.

Environmental wellness focuses on our ability to positively impact the land, air, and water that supports human and animal life. Elements of a sustainable lifestyle can support your health, the planet, ecological well-being, and your economic health.

Career and academic well-being allows us to focus on our academic and professional work while still maintaining balance in our lives.

Academic Wellness

Components of academic wellness include the desire to learn new concepts and improve skills, the seeking of challenges as a lifelong learner, and the ability to effectively use information. The intellectual dimension of well-being highlights:

  • Getting the most out of education by asking questions and studying effectively
  • Creative and mentally stimulating activities
  • The importance of problem solving and critical thinking

Career Wellness

At the center of career and occupational wellness is the belief that occupational development is related to one's attitude about one's work. Important components of career wellness include personal satisfaction and enrichment at work, occupational skills and knowledge, and career ambitions, along with:

  • A career that is consistent with personal values
  • Rewarding work
  • Functional, transferable skills
  • Occupational safety and well-being