Prioritizing health and wellness in post-secondary classrooms

Health and wellness have taken a front-and-center position in the modern post-secondary landscape. Despite this, few post-secondary programs integrate dimensional wellness and stress theory into the curriculum and how this integration occurs is poorly documented. This action research study utilized a facilitated mini-lesson and two surveys to explore what post-secondary students know about personal health, wellness, and stress. Ten individuals participated at the College of New Caledonia in Prince George, British Columbia. Findings demonstrated that students were significantly stressed and identified exercise and reflective practices as most beneficial to reduce that stress. Most importantly, participants believe the classroom should include stress theory and strategies to support overall wellness.