Well-being Initiatives | Office of Student Life | Division for Student Affairs

#RaiseUpGW

To be well at the George Washington University is to honor the dynamic process of change and growth that involves building resilience, persistence, and positivity in the face of challenges. Raise Up GW is our initiative dedicated to helping students engage in a comprehensive well-being experience across campus. We empower our students to actively engage in well-being activities that are supportive of holistic lifestyles. Through this initiative, students will gain an understanding of resources and learn how to help others in need. For more information, contact the Raise Up GW Committee.

Dimensions of Well-being

We are still dedicated to helping you prioritize your well-being during the virtual learning period. As you browse through these dimensions of well-being, you will have the ability to identify virtual campus services and online resources to aid you in finding a healthy balance during this time.

Apply to the Raise Up GW Co-Curricular Certificate program! This program allows students to expand their knowledge of well-being, identify ways in which well-being plays an integral role in their success at GW, and gain knowledge of on-campus well-being services. Participants will engage in one workshop of their choosing related to each of the eight dimensions of well-being: Physical, Social, Emotional, Intellectual, Financial, Environmental, Spiritual, and Cultural. Interested students should apply on Engage by September 23.

The Raise Up Challenge is an opportunity for departments and organizations across the university to create a goal related to student well-being that aligns with one of the four goals of the Raise Up GW well-being initiative. Become a Raise Up Representative for your department or organization and join the Raise Up Challenge today!

We want to hear how you are maintaining your well-being during this virtual learning period! Tell us your well-being story to be featured on our website.

Theresa Buechler

Hometown: Bel Air, MD
Dimension: Physical Well-being

Physical health has been really important in managing recent stress. I focus on getting 8 hours of sleep at night and incorporating at least one vegetable into every meal. I’ve found time for three 20min workouts a week, and online classes have allowed me to get up and just move around much more often – short walks, stairs, dancing around the room. Little things have a way of adding up, and my physical health has positively impacted my ability to be proactive in the current world.

Amal Hassan

Hometown: Northern VA
Dimension: Intellectual Well-being

Amidst the current global pandemic, many of us are having uncomfortable conversations with loved ones about racial injustice. As disheartening images and videos emerged of Black bodies being expendable, I once again felt hyper-aware of the intersectional identities that I myself fall into. While at home, I felt a sense of relief to be in a safe space where I am not constantly reminded that I am the only Black Somali Muslim Women. In order to re-establish this safe space, I engaged in fruitful, intergenerational dialogues with my family to see how we can do better within our Somali-Muslim community and how to uplift one another at home. Through intellectual, spiritual conversations or setting aside time to reflect, I slowly feel the strength and healing needed to cope through this heavy time.

Anna McDonald-Martin

Hometown: Cambridge, MA
Dimension: Environmental Well-being

During quarantine, I have taken charge of the cooking and food shopping for my household to promote some environmentally friendly practices at home. I have focused on making small changes to my family's standard routine such as increasing the number of plant-based meals we eat each week, buying produce without packaging when possible, and meal planning before shopping to be sure we avoid buying excess food. I have also started planting the seeds or stalks from our food scraps so that we can regrow our produce. It's been very fulfilling integrating these changes into our life this summer.

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