HSG Health Days: well-being through connectedness

Social relations and social support are essential for a healthy life. This year’s HSG Health Days from 24-26 april aim to reinforce solidarity and community. The varied programme offers workshops on physical, mental and social aspects of well-being, counselling options and a panel discussion. The event is organised jointly by Unisport and the Psychological Counselling Services. The homebase of the Health Days is situated in the SQUARE.

Holistic perspective on health

According to the two organisers, Julia Marty of Unisport and Dr. Katharina Molterer of the Psychological Counselling Services, the programme is geared to a holistic way of thinking about health. Individual events are tailored to the various groups’ needs. Thus the workshop “Social skills for leaders of tomorrow” is offered once in German, once in English and a further time specially for members of staff. Members of staff will be given an opportunity to attend the event during working hours, contingent on their superiors’ agreement.

People can register for the event as of now. Experiences of the first two Health Days revealed that the health checks conducted by medical students of the University of St.Gallen, as well as nutritional counselling, are very much in demand, explains Julia Marty. A run on the “Action Painting” event is also expected.

Public panel discussion about the post-pandemic workplace

Although the programme of the Health Days has an intramural focus, there will be one exception: the panel discussion in the SQUARE on Wednesday, 26 April, from 5.30 p.m. onwards with a subsequent aperitif is open to everyone who is interested. The topic will be “Reconnecting communities and fostering social health in the post-pandemic workplace”. Experts from academia and practice will exchange their findings and opinions concerning the restoration of communities in today’s and tomorrow’s workplace.

“While some people argue that working autonomously allows for more flexibility and boosts performance, others warn against a decrease in social support and belongingness and against a sense of isolation and loneliness,” explains Katharina Molterer. In view of this dynamism, both universities and companies are thinking about how performance could best be maintained and social health be fostered.

The Health Days are also intended to make a sustainable impact and provide an impetus for further services. “We want to experience and reflect on how healthy togetherness and social well-being can be jointly created at the HSG,” emphasises Julia Marty. “At the University, services concerning health and well-being are provided from many quarters. It would be desirable if we could pool our forces to make them visible in order to exploit synergies and present a holistic range of services,” adds Katharina Molterer.

The programme and further information about the Health Days can be found at: https://www.unisg.ch/de/universitaet/services-der-hsg/unisport/wissensvermittlung/gesundheitstage/

Text: Claudia Schmid