Building healthy habits: Social and cultural wellness
Build a support system
Having healthy relationships with others, means you will have people to help you when life gets difficult, as well as people with whom you can share your happiness. These relationships are often referred to as a support system.
While you may feel like you are okay on your own, lacking a support system can have long-term effects on your mental health. Loneliness has been known to lead to anxiety and depression.
Consider different perspectives
Hearing from people with different values and practices can give you new perspectives and add dimension to your life. Understanding and appreciating cultural diversity will help you connect with a wider variety of students during your university experience.
Take Action
- Be willing to meet new people and make new friends. Sign up for courses and activities that genuinely interest you, and consider joining a student group.
- Consider volunteering on or off campus.
- Attend some free groups and workshops to help with relationship and communication. These are available through the Student Counselling Centre, as well as relationship counselling.
- Challenge your discomfort about other ethnicities, cultures, sexualities, genders, religions, etc. You may be pleasantly surprised at how many nice people there are in the world.
- Be aware of your own culture, and how that may affect your interactions with others. Connect with other cultural or social groups which can help you become more culturally aware.