Thinking differently about well-being: connecting with nature and others

We often think of well-being as managing stress or meeting individual needs, but real well-being is about much more than that. It involves creating deeper connections – with yourself, with those around you and with the natural world.

As a student, it’s easy to focus on just getting through the day; but when you expand your view of well-being, it becomes clear that it is intimately linked to that of your community and the planet. When you take time to reflect on your needs, strengthen your relationships and spend time in nature, you not only benefit yourself but also contribute to the world around you. Recognising this interconnectedness fosters compassion and resilience, building stronger communities and supporting a more sustainable world.

Holistic well-being: a broader approach

Our research shows that focusing on connections with self, others and nature leads to significant improvements in overall well-being. Recognised by Advance HE as an exemplar of good practice, this approach highlights how individual actions contribute to collective well-being, both within the university and beyond. Here’s how you can nurture holistic well-being across personal, collective and planetary levels.

Personal well-being: holistic well-being begins with you

Personal well-being is more than just managing stress and difficult emotions – it involves making small, meaningful changes that improve mind and body. Positive psychological interventions and healthy habits such as using your character strengths, meditating and regular physical activity can build a strong foundation for long-term holistic well-being. Here’s how to get started:

• Character strengths: reflect on your unique strengths and use them to overcome challenges and pursue goals. Discover your strengths through the VIA Survey.
• Daily meditation: practise meditation for just 10 minutes a day to stay present and reduce experiences such as depression (which is past-focused) and anxiety (future-focused).
• Physical activity: even small amounts of activity, like walking 4,000 steps a day, can boost your health and positively impact your well-being. For more of a challenge, you could try an app to help you start running regularly.

You don’t need to overhaul your life all at once, and there are many evidence-based well-being-focused interventions that you could explore (see, for example, here and here). A key point is to focus on small, consistent changes that fit into your routine. The goal is to build habits that promote lasting well-being.

Collective well-being: strengthen your connections with others

While we have some capacity to improve our own well-being, connecting with others plays a key role in enhancing it and that of the people we interact with. Strong social connections also foster a sense of belonging and shared purpose, which boosts collective well-being. Critically, even if you don’t feel like engaging with others, avoiding connection can negatively affect your well-being. Connecting with others is a basic psychological need. Here’s how to strengthen your connections:

• Join a student club or society: being part of a group promotes a sense of belonging, essential for both individual and collective well-being. Surrounding yourself with people who share your interests helps build lasting relationships and enriches your university experience.
• Volunteer for an organisation or a cause that you are passionate about: volunteering provides an opportunity to contribute to something larger than yourself. It fosters a sense of meaning and purpose, boosting your well-being while positively impacting your community.

Investing in collective well-being not only benefits you, it also helps create a supportive, inclusive environment that can lead to a more compassionate society.

Planetary well-being: reconnect with nature

Our well-being is closely linked to the health of the planet, and this relationship is mutually beneficial. Spending time in nature passively can boost mental and physical health, but actively engaging with nature brings even greater rewards. Actively connecting with nature – whether through sustainability initiatives or mindful interaction with the environment – can further enhance well-being and foster pro-environmental behaviour. Here’s how you can (re)connect with nature:

• Spend time in green spaces: even in built-up areas, find parks or green spaces where you can reconnect with nature. Research shows that 120 minutes a week in nature is needed to boost your mood, reduce stress and improve cognitive function.
• Engage in sustainability initiatives: many universities and communities offer opportunities to join sustainability projects, such as community gardening or clean-up efforts. These activities benefit the planet while fostering a sense of purpose and connection.

By caring for the environment, you’re contributing to planetary well-being while also strengthening your personal well-being.

Taking action: shaping well-being and contributing to positive change

As a student, you’re an important part of the university ecosystem. By prioritising your own well-being and connecting with others and the environment, you help shape a culture of care within your university and beyond. The choices you make – including, for example, joining a society, supporting your peers or engaging in sustainability efforts – don’t benefit just you. They contribute to building more compassionate, resilient and sustainable communities.

Professor Andrew Kemp is school research lead for the School of Psychology at Swansea University; and Stuart Gray is student life officer at Swansea University. This work was featured in Embedding Wellbeing into the Curriculum: A Good Compendium of Good Practice, published by Advance HE, and compiled by Swansea University (Professor Joanne Berry), the University of Portsmouth (Fiona Cook), the University of Buckingham (Professor Harriet Dunbar-Morris) and Bangor University (Professor Fran Garrad-Cole).