Bringing well-being directly to your community
Health & Wellness provides education and skill building to help participants be well while working towards their personal and academic success.
We require at least 2-weeks’ notice for program requests.
Our programming:
- offers opportunities to increase knowledge, gain self-awareness, and learn new skills
- is based on current research in public health
- is available to anyone in the UNH community (requests from outside UNH will be considered on a case-by-case basis)
- is tailored for the needs of your community/participants
- is provided by Health & Wellness staff, peer educators, or student interns
- can be offered in-person or on Zoom
- is typically 50-60 minutes in length
- in some cases, can be modified into a lobby program/table
- includes information on resources available at UNH and in the local community
Residence Halls/Housing
- Tailored programs to meet your curriculum/learning outcomes
- Additional materials to develop bulletin boards and other passive materials
Faculty: Don't Cancel That Class!
Need coverage? If we’re available, we can accommodate last-minute requests to facilitate one our well-being programs so that you don’t need to cancel your class. Learn more
Jump to a programming topic area:
- Alcohol, Nicotine, and Other Drugs (ANOD)
- Financial Wellness
- Nutrition
- Sexual Well-Being
- Stress & Emotional Wellness
- Well-Being
- Design Your Own Program
Alcohol, Nicotine, and Other Drugs (ANOD)
Informed decision-making is critical when it comes to your choices regarding alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, or other drug use during college. Health & Wellness is committed to providing students, and our Wildcat community, with the most up to date, evidence-based research, skills, and resources to support your well-being in this area. Alcohol, Nicotine, and Other Drug (ANOD) programs are student-centered and designed to present information that is relevant to college life at UNH. Content can be tailored to your academic class, student organization / club, residence hall community, or other student group / department.
ANOD Tabling Activities
Approximate run times 30 to 60 minutes
What’s In Your Cup?
This interactive tabling event utilizes a pouring activity to demonstrate the concept Mind the Line which is a practice that students can easily apply to reduce harm, if they choose to drink. This program is facilitated by student peer educators to provide space for open and nonjudgmental discussion and learning. ANOD Peer Educators can facilitate this program at your residence hall, organization, team, or club event.
At the conclusion of this activity participants will be able to…
- Define standard drink sizes.
- Summarize the relationship between standard drink sizes, blood alcohol concentration, and risks for harm.
- Discuss strategies to reduce harms associated with alcohol use.
Myth or Fact?
Knowledge can help empower your choices. This interactive program is about checking your beliefs, knowledge, and perceptions against the facts regarding alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, and non-medical use of prescription stimulants. Discussion is focused on how perceptions and expectations influence one’s choices. This activity is based on research, best practice, and social norming data and can be tailored to your audience.
At the conclusion of this activity participants will be able to…
- Summarize ANOD facts.
- Examine individual perceptions about ANOD.
- Utilize information to make informed choices re: ANOD use.
High Risk/Low Risk
What makes a behavior high risk or low risk? It may not be as obvious as you think! This interactive program challenges the participants to evaluate real life scenarios and identify level of risk and unknowns to factor into their decision-making around alcohol or other drug use.
At the conclusion of this activity participants will be able to…
- Distinguish between high-risk and low-risk situations and behaviors re: ANOD use.
- List the elements that make a behavior or situation high or low risk.
- Propose alternatives to high-risk situations or behaviors.
- Modify a high-risk behavior into a low-risk behavior.
Programs
Approximate run times 45 to 60 minutes
Programs you may request for your residence hall, organization, club, team or student group include:
Alcohol 101
This is a great program if you want to teach your community the basics about alcohol, its impacts on the body and developing brain, how to make informed choices and strategies to reduce harms. We will come prepared with an interactive activity that will educate participants about the concept of standard drink sizes, the reasons why more isn’t always better when it comes to drinking, and making choices that reflect one’s values.
At the conclusion of this program participants will be able to…
- Identify the physical impacts of alcohol on the body and developing brain.
- Summarize the relationship between standard drink sizes and blood alcohol concentration.
- Evaluate beliefs and perceptions which influence alcohol use choices.
- Distinguish between high risk and low risk drinking behaviors.
- Discuss strategies to reduce harms associated with alcohol use.
Cannabis 101
This is a great program if you want to teach your community the basics about cannabis, its physical impacts on the body and brain, how to make informed choices, and strategies to reduce harms associated with use.
At the conclusion of this program participants will be able to…
- Identify the physical impacts of cannabis on the body and developing brain.
- Summarize the relationships between cannabis use and sleep, appetite, mood, learning and driving.
- Evaluate beliefs and perceptions which influence cannabis use choices.
- Discuss strategies to reduce harms associated with cannabis use.
Hazing Prevention
According to the National Study of Student Hazing (Allen/Madden 2008), more than half (55%) of college students involved in clubs, teams, and organizations experience hazing. Yet the majority of college students do not recognize hazing behaviors when they occur. This program discusses the criteria for hazing, the factors that perpetuate hazing, the role of alcohol in hazing, and what you can do about it. This program can be tailored to your participants’ interest or needs.
At the conclusion of this program participants will be able to…
- Define the criteria for hazing.
- Summarize the three types of hazing behaviors.
- Evaluate situations to determine whether they meet the criteria for hazing.
- Summarize the relationship between hazing and alcohol use.
- Discuss individual and community level interventions to address hazing.
- List resources for support and reporting.
Design Your Own Program
If you are looking for a program with a focus that is not listed above, please let us know. Our ANOD Educator/Counselor and Peer Educators can collaborate with you to design a program tailored to your needs.
Financial Wellness
Are you on the Right Cash Course?
Many college students have minimal skills in managing their money and debt. The CASH (Create a Savings Habit) program gives an excellent overview of budgeting, saving, debt, and money management.
Nutrition
Let’s Talk Diets
Diet culture is extremely prevalent in our society with most adults having tried to diet at least once in their lifetime. With the number of fad diets out there, and misinformation about nutrition, this workshop will explain some of the more popular diet trends and the risks of fad diets. Participants will learn why dieting can be problematic not only to one’s physical health but mental health as well, and ways to work on having a healthier relationship with food, body and mind.
What’s Cooking?
Interested in learning how to make easy, balanced, budget-friendly meals? The demo cooking classes led by Nourish nutrition peer educators take place in the demonstration kitchen at the Hamel Recreation Center. Nourish peer educators will offer nutrition education based on the recipe being prepared*. Offered on Wednesday or Thursday evenings – date and time will depend on kitchen and peer educator availability. Cooking classes typically last 1.5 hours. *List of participants with any allergies or dietary restrictions will need to be provided in advance to be able to adapt recipes accordingly.
Social Media and Body Image
With the increased use of social media, particularly in the college population, picture perfect images, photoshopping apps, and filters are being viewed daily by these young adults. This 1-hour workshop will cover body image and factors that can influence our body image, and how social media and the increased use of social media may be negatively impacting our body image and self-esteem.
How to Help a Friend
Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that can impact both physical and mental health. Talking to someone you may be concerned about is not always easy, but it can be extremely helpful. During this workshop participants will learn about the most common eating disorders, know what signs and symptoms to look for, and how to approach a loved one that they are concerned about.
Self-Esteem and Body Image
Negative body image is best-known contributor to the development of an eating disorder. In this workshop we will take a look at body image and self-esteem and recognize both the physical and external traits that make us beautiful. We will highlight the things we like about ourselves, as well as recognizing our insecurities.
Sexual Well-Being
We provide comprehensive sex education (CSE) to UNH students so they can use their sexual agency to make informed decisions. Our sex positive programming is applicable to student who are sexually active, thinking about being sexually active, or abstinent. Free safer sex supplies and lubrication will be provided at all sexual well-being programs. Programs are led by our trained sexual well-being interns and will be available starting in October - mid April. If you have questions about sex education at UNH, please contact dawn.zitney@unh.edu.
Safer Sex: How to Use Barrier Methods
This is our core safer sex program that teaches students why and how to use barrier methods and lubrication to reduce risk of STIs/HIV and unintended pregnancy. Using anatomical models, students can practice or be shown how to use condoms, dental dams, and latex gloves. Information on the variety of safer sex products available to enhance pleasure, prevalence of STIs/HIV among college students, and the sexual health services and wellness coaching available at Health & Wellness will be provided.
Emotional Wellness: Benefits of Pleasure & Intimacy
The experience of pleasure enhances emotional and social wellness. Participant will be guided through an activity to explore what sexual pleasure and intimacy means to them, both in and out of sex. This program has a focus on intimacy and is appropriate for students who aren't sexually active. * This is a presentation and can't be made into a lobby program.
Design Your Own Sexual Well-Being Program or Bulletin Board
Collaborate with us to ensure that the program/education you create is utilizing the best practices outlined by CSE.
Bulk Safer Sex Supply Request
If you are looking to obtain a larger supply of condoms, dental dams, and lubrication, please submit a request using this form:
Request Bulk Safer Sex Supplies
Stress & Emotional Wellness
The Meaning of Stress:
Shifting Your Mindset and Utilizing Body-Based Techniques to Cope
Stress is a full body response to the challenges of life that everyone experiences. Being able to skillfully turn towards and cope with stress can enhance health, well-being, and motivation. Participants will learn how to improve their stress mindset by understanding what stress by understanding what stress is and how it impacts the whole body. Opportunities to learn about and practice quick but proven body-based relaxation techniques will be provided.
Beating Burnout
This session provides an opportunity to discuss the complex nature of burnout, dismantling the (at times) oversimplified mainstream media definition of “being overworked.” Participants will be introduced to Dr. Jacinta Jimenez’s 3-step process for beating burnout: Recognize, Respond, Replenish, while assessing their own burnout profile and engaging in meaningful conversation about how to actively replenish their resource and energy.
How Are You — Really?
“How are you” is more than a greeting. It’s a check-in that lets people know you care. And, when you respond to the greeting, it’s a way for you to check-in with yourself and authentically share what you’re experiencing.
As part of the How are you — really? campaign, we’ve created an educational program to help students better understand and care for their emotional wellness and mental health. As a result of this program, students will be able to...
- Explain the differences and symptoms between stress, anxiety, and depression;
- Utilize the Mood Meter as an emotional wellness check-in tool to name their mood;
- Utilize the Mental Health Continuum (MHC) as a tool to access their mental health status to determine if they are content, okay, struggling, or distressed;
- Identify and use inner resources and campus resources to support their mental health wherever they are on the MHC.
This program is 50 minutes and is presented by staff or student facilitators from Health & Wellness and/or Psychological and Counseling Services (PACS). Opportunities for knowledge attainment, self-reflection, group processing, and skill building are provided.
Self-Compassion:
Befriending Yourself to Feel Better and Increase Motivation
College is a challenging time and can be made more challenging when we beat ourselves up when we fail or strive for unattainable perfection. Instead, we can use the skill of self-compassion to treat ourselves with the same kindness and care we would treat a good friend who makes mistakes. Self-compassion has been found to increase motivation, reduce shame, and enhance emotional wellness. Participants will learn how they can build the coping skill of self-compassion into their self-care.
Well-Being & Wellness
The Meaning of Wellness:
A Whole-Person Approach to Caring for Yourself
This is our core wellness and well-being program. Utilizing UNH’s Well-Being Wheel, participants will be guided through an engaging activity that helps them understand their current wellness – in which areas they are thriving, in which areas they are struggling, what is giving them energy, what is taking away energy. Will also discuss how communities and identity impact wellness. Participants will leave with a clearer vision of their own wellness along with and pathways to keep moving forward.
How You Doing?
Lobby Program
Note: This is a condensed version of our core wellness program. After spinning the well-being wheel, participants will be prompted to reflect on what they know about that area of wellness and how they’re doing in that area of their life.
Power Up!
Meet with staff from the Hamel Recreation Center and Health & Wellness for an informative (and fun!) panel discussion with plenty of opportunity for questions and answers. Participants will gain an understanding of how physical activity, nutrition, sleep and coping with stress all work in tandem to feel good and meet their goals.
Design Your Own Program
Our staff is always looking to run new programs! If you have a program/topical idea in mind, we can sit down with you to discuss your ideas and design a program that is tailored to your specific audience and goals. We request that you give us at least 2-3 weeks to make this happen. This time frame includes time to meet with you individually.
