The Office of Health Promotion: A low-key great resource on campus

Time management is one of the most common things students are coming in for.

For five years, OHP, located in Gasson 025, has been working to empower students to make healthy decisions and foster a healthy, well-balanced environment on campus.

Elise Phillips, the Director of the Office of Health Promotion, and all other OHP staff members work to provide general health education, drug and alcohol education and support, and nutrition counseling to all students.

The OHP staff strives to teach students about stress and time, sleep, healthy eating, self-care, exercise plans, low risk and high-risk choices, relationships, and strategies to reach healthy goals. With the help of trained and certified Health Coaches, the OHP staff also organizes individual health conversations, called iHPs, and group health education workshops.

During an iHP, a student gets the chance to meet one-on-one with a Health Coach to discuss all aspects of health including, nutrition, exercise regimens, sleep schedules, stress levels, social life, spirituality, and relationships – just to name a few.

Makayla Davis, a health coach, said: “Students come in for anything related to getting more sleep, starting exercise routines, time management, and getting organized.

“The biggest one we’re seeing lately is time management – we’ll help students with planning tools and help them make to-do lists plan out their weeks with block calendars.”

Students are able to discuss individualized health goals and strategies to create and maintain a well-balanced lifestyle. These health conversations are dictated by the student client and tailored specifically to his or her personal desires, goals, ambitions, and health questions.

During group education workshops, students can attend programs to learn skills and strategies to achieve their health goals. These ongoing programs, known as iHealth campaigns, are called iChill, iStrive, iNourish, iPlan, and iChoose.

Each workshop focuses on a different aspect of health, including stress management, healthy relationships, nutrition education, time management, and alcohol and drug education. In an iChill program, for example, students learn effective coping strategies to help manage everyday stress levels.

Elise said: “Each participant leaves the session with a personalized stress management plan tailored to their personal stressors.”

Students can sign up for iHPs and request these group education workshops on the OHP website: www.bc.edu/healthpro.

 The OHP staff also organizes health awareness campaigns with the help of other BC divisions, like the Connor’s Family Learning Center and Dining Services. Elise added: “OHP is a hub of a wheel that works with other divisions at BC to create a community of health on campus.”

Nourish, Sweet Dreamzzz, BChill, Stay in your Green Zone, and Wasted Weekend are just a few campaigns that focus on different aspects of health.

This year, the OHP staff is focusing on its Got Time? Campaign, offering strategies to help students manage their time, plan their semester, and recognize that they can have all three: self-care, academic success, and a social life. The OHP staff “has helped all students who come into the office for guidance in creating a healthy balance among all aspects of college life. Whether it’s starting an exercise plan, eating healthier, managing stress, making smart alcohol choices, or eliminating toxic ones, we’ve got you covered!”

Finally, the OHP staff also plans annual health events, like Be Well Talks, and Healthapalooza.

According to Elise, “the office sees thousands of students a year, so you’re not alone! Come in for a cup of tea and some snacks! We’re so happy to see you!”