Social Wellness is a critical dimension of overall wellness. According to the University of California, Davis, it “refers to the relationships we have and how we interact with others. Our relationships can offer support during difficult times. Social wellness involves building healthy, nurturing, and supportive relationships as well as fostering a genuine connection with those around you.”
This definition tells us the importance of the social aspect of wellness. Isolation can have numerous adverse effects on our health. Many positive changes in our body, such as a healthier endocrine system and better cardiovascular functioning, have been linked to a solid social network. So, here are eight ways you can improve your social wellness.
Practice Self-Care
Social Wellness is not only about nurturing or building relationships. As we practice these aspects of social wellness, we cannot forget about ourselves. Remember to practice Self-Care techniques (check out our Self-Care and Self-Love post). After all, being the best you is the first step towards becoming more present and open while in your social group, which can significantly benefit your relationships.
Know Thyself
Continuing off that, knowing yourself is extremely important to finding new relationships and building current ones. If you know yourself, your limits, likes, and dislikes, you can use that to help improve your relationships. Moreover, knowing what you want in life or simply out of a relationship can help avoid people who may not benefit your social wellness.
Don't Judge Or Criticize
Every person goes through rough times, and in those times, they need someone to be there for them. While it can be easy to judge or criticize another person for their mistakes, passing these emotions onto that person not only negatively impacts their lives it can also ruin any chances of them getting better. Instead, try to constructively help them out, offer to lend a hand, or just an ear. Sometimes the little things can help the most. These acts can significantly improve your relationships and make you more trustworthy in their eyes, which is vital for a healthy relationship.
Own Up To Your Mistakes
Again, we all make mistakes, and it is easy to blame someone else or something else. Instead, own up to your mistakes and strive to ensure that it never happens again. Doing this can be detrimental to relationships. Owning up can improve our relationships and make us better people, which is why social wellness is essential in the first place.
Rekindle Old Friendships
Every day people fall out of touch. Whether it is distance or time, sometimes friends drop out of contact. Especially during this pandemic, we have isolated ourselves in our homes, and our relationships have boiled down to a core group of people we choose to surround ourselves with. However, now that things are opening reach out to those friends you are no longer in contact with. Catch up with them, ask them how they’re doing, and be there for them once more if they need a hand with anything. These relationships can often become more substantial than they once were and can lead to newer relationships down the line. These friends were friends for a reason, so ensure that the people you respect, love, and care about do not fall out of your life.
Nurture Existing Relationships
Social wellness is all about ensuring that your social health remains healthy. So, you need to work on your current relationships so that they do not die out. By nurturing these relationships, you are strengthening the bond you share with that person, and in turn, you are providing vital wellness to your mind, body, and spirit.
Don't Be A Flake
A flake is a person who does not meet all the commitments they make. Being a flake is one of the quickest ways to lose all your relationships. Whenever you miss out on something like that, you appear less trustworthy, and your friends may think that you are going out of your way to avoid them. Being flakey can negatively affect your relationship and can even lead to some of them breaking. However, everyone gets dealt with unexpected situations, does not continuously make commitments you can not keep, and always lets the other party know that you will not be able to make as soon as you can.
Appreciate Yourself And Others
The final guideline to follow for Social Wellness is to appreciate everyone in your life, including yourself. The people you surround yourself with are people that you trust, respect, and care about. They deserve your appreciation because you have chosen to be with them. Showing this appreciation can return the favor, which can significantly boost your social and emotional well-being.
The various aspects of wellness are all connected. Improving one often leads to an improvement in the others as well. So, we should never ignore any of the types of wellness. Out of these, the one that can often suffer the most, especially in a pandemic, is your Social Wellness. Hopefully, these guidelines can get you on track to improving your social wellness.
