August 30, 2017

Student wellbeing takes centre stage at WOW Festival

Physical, mental and environmental health brought into balance with joy-inducing activities.

UOW’s Duck Pond Lawn is this week sporting a bit of ‘wow factor’ during the Wheel of Wellbeing (WOW) Festival, offering students and staff positive energy and good vibes from Tuesday 29 August - Thursday 31 August.

The three day festival, coordinated by UOW Wellbeing and Kooloobong Village - includes a range of activities across the six areas of the wheel - body, mind, spirit, people, place and planet – key elements for improving overall wellbeing.

Among a fun line up of interactive experiences, students can jump for joy at the joyful jumping castle, get juicy with it on the juice bike, craft like Picasso at the art and soul craft tent and take time to smell the roses with some in bloom flower arranging.

One of the festival highlights came in the form of some puppy love today (August 30) facilitated by 4 Paws Pet Care, who is looking for foster carers on behalf of Fetching Dogs Rescue.

UOW Wellbeing Coordinator and Festival organiser, Ninan Mathew, said the event helps emphasise the importance of keeping all aspects of life in balance.

“Sometimes we can get so immersed in study and work that we forget to look after our own wellbeing.

“The Wheel of Wellbeing is all about maintaining a healthy balance across all aspects of life, taking into account our physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and environmental needs.

“From a health perspective, when your wellbeing is strong, you're less likely to catch a cold or feel pain, you can recover more quickly from illness and injury, and even live longer,” Ninan said.

The WOW Festival, now in its third year, was developed by Ninan with the intention of bringing some positive psychology to the campus to enhance the overall student life experience.

Students enjoying WOW Festival activities