What Is Social Wellness, and How Is It Important?
The relationships we develop with those around us can affect the quality of our lives. How we connect with others, such as family members, friends, and more, is what social wellness is all about.
Social wellness is essential since the positive impacts of developing and keeping healthy relationships are countless. Individuals who are healthy from a social aspect benefit from health advantages and also may even live longer.
Your social health affects your physical as well as mental health. The three coincide with each other: as one deteriorates, the other two will soon follow. This is why it’s essential to prioritize your physical, social, and mental health.
How Do I Improve My Social Wellness?
Research has shown that people with positive social interactions live much longer and healthier lives than those who are not socially healthy. A lack of social wellness may cause stress and anxiety, the two most common responses when you’re not taking care of yourself. If you follow these tips below, you may notice that your life improves emotionally and physically.
- Practice self-care. Social wellness begins with this step. It can be something as simple as lying down and clearing your mind for a few minutes or as much as a well-deserved vacation.
- Learn about yourself. This is a crucial tip when it comes to boosting your social health. Actively listening and staying in tune with your emotions is a huge step in improving your social health. Keep a journal that you write in every day and ask yourself questions like the following:
- How have you been feeling lately?
- What relaxes you? What stresses you out?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- Eat well and rest often. Our bodies require a healthy diet and a good sleep schedule so that our physical and mental health can remain balanced. When you obtain 7-8 hours of proper sleep each night, your thinking improves. A healthy body is vital to support a healthy mind.
- Create a support system. Humans are built to communicate with each other, share our emotions and develop relationships that provide some sort of benefit to our lives. Connect with like-minded individuals who share your interests and hobbies. Having an encouraging network of loved ones you can depend on in times of need also helps reduce stress.
- Find ways to express yourself. If you are someone who keeps their emotions bottled up, this tip is for you. Sharing your feelings with people you are close to or a trusted therapist can help improve relationships.
- Let go of hazardous relationships. Relationships that create tension and cause stress can influence your social wellness negatively. Say goodbye to toxic people who offer no benefit to your life. Your social connections are essential; however, if they do more harm than good, then it may be time to let them go.
- Learn and establish your boundaries. ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ are powerful tools when utilized the proper way. Learn to say yes to exploring new opportunities. However, understanding when and where to draw the line is necessary. Boundaries are important for maintaining your mental health.
Your social health focuses on creating and keeping healthy relationships with various people in your life. In addition, keeping yourself healthy is a big priority, which is why taking that first step in self-care is essential. There are many resources that you can use to determine if you are prioritizing yourself.Core Recovery offers DBT/Mindfulness services as part of our integrative IOP and PHP programs, which can take you in the right direction toward recovery. Mindfulness is the underlying foundation behind all Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills. This integration of cognitive-behavioral techniques and mindfulness skills is a powerful treatment for depression, anxiety, addictive tendencies, impulse control, and personality disorders.