Explore Wellbeing
Being well looks different for each of us. How does it take place in your life and community?
What Does Wellbeing Mean to You?
On this page, you can listen to a few perspectives on what constitutes wellbeing. We may look at wellbeing as affected by the wellness of people in our lives and our communities as a whole, which includes access to various resources, rights and freedoms, and our collective ability to fulfill basic needs. Wellbeing can also be explored on an embodied level, which involves thinking about how emotions are held in the body, and how physical activity is essential in both physical and mental health. Indigenous perspectives on wellbeing take our spiritual elements into account as well, seeing our spirits, minds, bodies, and emotions as interconnected. In this view, wellbeing is about finding balance among all four aspects of being. Considering all of these interpretations, we might begin to critique a medicalized model that pathologizes individuals. In the last two videos, Efrat introduces biases of a psychiatric model and the consequences of its implementation.
What is Wellbeing?
Dr. Janelle Joseph speaks about wellbeing in terms of freedom, inviting the listener to consider different, opposite ways of being, moving and gesturing in spaces that have been constructed with a colonial mindset, such as making sound in places where you are supposed to be quiet or walking in the grass instead of the path. She encourages students to trust themselves, to listen to what the body is telling them, and seek out the resources that they need for their success.
The Power of Self-determination in Health Care
Dr. Mulligan explains the overlooked role of social factors when it comes to our health. ‘Social prescribing’ is about getting people involved in social groups to help reconnect them with activities they love and reduce isolation. A key part of this is ‘self-determination’ – listening to the individual to hear what matters most to them, and then helping them meet those goals. When we meet our goals, we feel more competent and more capable of giving back to others, which fosters interrelated wellbeing.
Wellness through the Medicine Wheel
Iehnhotonkwas explains that an Indigenous perspective on wellness includes more than just taking care of the mind, but also the body and spirit. The Anishinaabe medicine wheel visually portrays the balanced aspects of self with four quadrants: emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual. When there is a blockage in one area, it affects all the others. As university students, we tend to focus on the mental, but it is important to understand our whole experience as affected by mental problems. Iehnhotonkwas says that the spiritual is found whenever we are able to ‘connect’ – with nature, with others, and so on. This connection is lost when we are mentally overburdened.
How Physical Activity Promotes Wellbeing
Dr. Sabiston discusses the physiological reasons behind the benefits of physical activity. Movement affects our brains and create more positive emotions, and also realigns the human body with the activities it was meant for. Dr. Sabiston also mentions the benefits of pairing mindfulness and physical activity, which helps to maximize the benefits of each practice.
Energy and Imagery in Qigong
Jacqueline explains the concept of qi (life force energy) and its important role in healing. It can be helpful to engage our imaginations to bring in the qi of the universe and allow it to flow through us. Imagery engages our minds while also sending relaxation signals to our bodies. Experiencing the qi within us fosters a sense of interconnectedness with all life.
Intersections between Race, Space, and Movement
Dr. Joseph invites the listener to consider how “every space that we are occupying has been constructed be someone.” She speaks about the politics of space, pointing to the ways that gyms, parks and other outdoor spaces for leisure and wellness continue to be funded and created by and for white people, to the exclusion of Black, Indigenous and other marginalized communities. She also speaks about the importance of creating inclusive spaces that allow for other forms of expression, noting that feeling safe and included in a space allows for freedom of movement and self-expression. Dr. Joseph describes her research with student athletes, coaches and sports administrators about experiences of racism and anti-racist resistance.
How Psychiatry Became Science
Efrat explains the history of how social problems were medicalized under eugenics and how the concept of ‘mental hygiene’ transitioned into ‘mental health.’ Through this transition, psychiatry ended up being legitimized as a science while retaining the legacy of eugenics.
Eugenics and the Origins of “Mental Illness”
Efrat begins by pointing out that eugenics is not an inherently evil idea; its goal is simply to alleviate suffering and improve the lives of human beings. The problem is that this goal is interpreted by whoever has the most power and privilege. In this way, social structures end up dictating who is mentally ill (or abnormal) and who isn’t. Nowadays, psychiatry is the field that makes these decisions. Efrat then goes on to explain the ways in which social contexts impact mental health, which are not usually considered in psychiatric diagnoses.
A Message for Students
Dr. Richardson recognizes the pressure that young people face when it comes to building their lives. She wants students to understand that it is okay to take your time. It’s okay if you don’t have all the answers yet.