Volume 1, No. 2
Who Are You?
In the last issue of “Change Happens” we explored what it really means to be well. We described wellness as a happy balance between our emotional, physical, and spiritual dimensions of self. We also talked about why that balance is sometimes upset and how change is a common factor. In this volume of “Change” we will discuss the core of the interpersonal aspect of wellness and reveal something that is so malleable, it changes its shape and form every day; your personal identity. 
Personal Identity. What is that exactly? Well, I guess if it’s so personal then it’s all your own, so go ahead and define it… Not going to happen? Let’s try to break it down then. Where does identity come from? What forms our self-concept? Is it something that you’re born with that just takes time to come to the surface? Well, not quite. Our self-concept is “one’s view of oneself that forms over time, comprising of three components: the physical self, the social self, and the personal self,” (Feldman, 63). Personal identity comes from the environment that we live in. It comes from the people that we interact with day in and day out. It comes from the experiences that we have and how we later reflect on those experiences.
Now you might be thinking that sounds a bit complicated. And if all of those components change all of the time, so how can I answer, even to myself, what my identity is? When it comes to identity, “there is not a fixed or static self, but only a current self-concept constructed from one’s experiences,” (Markus, 306). Our identities then shift with each experience. To better understand how shifts take place and the interconnectedness between our physical, social and personal selves, we need to inspect and segment each aspect of our identity.
The first dynamic of our identity is our physical selves. Essentially “our physical self is both who we are physically…and how we feel about out physical form,” (Feldman, 63). This dynamic encompasses our body image, our physical skills, and how we manifest them in everyday life. It includes the color of our eyes, how short or tall we are, and if we have freckles, or dimples or pimples. It includes how physically fit we are and what our physical abilities are. We all have opinions on how we look and we compare ourselves to others and to the images portrayed in the media. How we feel about our physical characteristics, positive or negative, helps shape our identity.
The second dynamic of our self-concept is our social self. This dimension of identity suggests that “our social self is made up of the roles we play in our social interactions with others,” (Feldman, 63). Everyone has multiple roles that they play in their lives. At Western New England College we are first students. Some of us are also athletes, actors, student leaders, volunteers, employees. We are all sons or daughters, maybe sisters or brothers. We are friends, citizens, and significant others. Each of these roles helps us “determine how you behave while acting in that particular role,” (Feldman, 63). Each of these roles helps contributes to the formation and re-formation of your social identity.
The third dynamic of our identity says that “Our self-concept also contains a personal self,,,,,which is the private part of ourselves that no one knows about except us,” (Feldman, 64). This personal concept is born out of our circumstances and our perception of those circumstances. The environment that we grew up in and how we perceive it has a lot to do with the development of identity. The experiences that we have throughout our lives, what we take from them, and how we let them influence us is a part of the personal self. Our personal self is our core; our innermost thoughts and feelings, or experiences that we may choose not to share with others.
Defining identity is more complex than a single sentence and will be revised throughout our lives. Just like being well, understanding identity is a balance. It is a balance of physical, social, and personal self, each of which contributes to our overall identity. Now that we have begun to understand the components that make up our self-concept, we can delve into affiliated concepts that also influence our identity, like our attitudes, values, and beliefs. These don’t just come out of thin air, so where do they come from? Stay tuned.
Reference:
Feldman, Robert S. Power Learning: Strategies for Success in College and Life. Amherst: McGraw Hill, 2000.
Volume 1, No. 1
Discovering Wellness
What does it mean to be well? Does it mean being disease or illness free? Does it mean being physically fit and on top of your game? Everyone should know what it really means to be well. Being well has to do with a person’s entire being, from head to toe, inside and out. Being well involves not only a person’s physical health but also his or her emotional, psychological, and spiritual health. 
In college, first year students seem to struggle with personal wellness for reasons that are beyond their understanding. They feel bad and confused about the way they feel and think that they are all alone. What they cannot see in their circumstances of personal turmoil is that they are not alone. They are one of 700 other first year students in their class, who at some point in their first few weeks of college, have also felt isolated and alone. When students are feeling disconnected on any of the dimensions reflected in the diagram to the right, their perception of life is skewed in multiple directions. They lack balance. The mind and the body are connected so when one of the contributing factors to wellness is out of whack, the others are felt to be off kilter as well.
What this newsletter hopes to accomplish, is to identify just what it is that keeps students from being entirely well. It will seek to explain that there is a reason for what students may be feeling, and offer a perspective to the underlying sources of adjustment and personal growth. This newsletter will focus on three dimensions of personal wellness: inter-personal, academic, and spiritual. With the focus on those three aspects of first year student development, the newsletter will chronologically work through issues that students face and address the the importance to being able to manage the transition from high school to college.
Confront the Uncomfortable
Before coming to college, students lived a life that was comfortable and predictable. It was safe and it was grounded. Students had their own space and their expected routines. They had friends that they had known for years and could see them often if not at any given time. They texted, conversed on Facebook and MySpace, they visited, they were an arm’s length away in most of their relationships. Their lives for the most part revolved around a defined comfort zone.
As human beings, we are creatures of habit and conditioning. When that comfort zone is invaded or disrupted, we work very hard to try and restore it as quickly as possible. Changing circumstances creates discomfort; it disrupts the status quo. What is likewise relevant, we live in a society that expects a quick fix. With a quick flip of a phone and a few buttons pushed we can send a message through space and time. We can receive those messages just as quickly and when these take too long, we grow impatient. We are, by nature, an impatient society and that is one reason why change is difficult to manage. For changing circumstance to be transformed to the realm of safety and predictability takes time; it doesn’t happen immediately whether it pertain to physical or interpersonal dimensions. So a student enters the first semester of college and cannot associate anything with what is comfortable for them. Not only are the mattresses uncomfortable, but so is every other dynamic of the college community. What is more unsettling is there are so many unknowns. Students discover they can’t find their way around right away , they don’t recognize any faces, and they don’t even know how to read their schedules! Could life get any more complicated? Sure it could, but fortunately, the student is the solution.
Embrace change! This notion is the very first step. College is one chance to start fresh! Take every new relationship, new experience, new challenge that comes along as a positive opportunity for personal growth and for building self-image. As one adage suggests, that which challenges us the most will make us stronger in the end. Recognize as well that perceived reality is often much different than actual reality. You see yourself as the only one walking alone on the way to class, or sitting alone in the dining room. Look around; you will see a lot of other people alone as well. You will never know what you are capable of attaining until you take the leap of faith; true, you may experience rejection, but then again, you may find acceptance. You are the one person in charge and you determine the outcome. It is okay to feel anxious for without some degree of discomfort, there is no opportunity for growth. Stay tuned to the next edition for some additional reflections on change.
Reference:
Adams, Troy B., PhD, Bezner, Janet R., PT, PhD, Drabbs, Mary E., EdD, Zambrarano, Robert J., PhD, Steinhardt, Mary A., EdD. (2000). Conceptualization and Measurement of the Spiritual and Psychological Dimensions of Wellness in a College Population. Journal of American College Health, 48, 165-173.