Did you know that having a healthy physical and mental health is not enough to have a good quality of life? Yes! Along with these important dimensions of our lives, there’s another one that we need to take care of always. This is social wellness.
What is Social Wellness?
Social wellness plays an effective role in improving the quality of life. And when you hear “social”, you only think about the relationships you have and how you interact with others, but social wellness is more than that. Social Wellness includes the following:
- This is the quality of your relationship with the people close to you.
- This is social acceptance you receive from the people important to you.
- This is the value you give to your community.
- This is also how you view things in your social world.
Basically, your social wellness is all around you. It is not simply about how you interact with the people close to you. It is with everyone you interact with, whether you’re close with them or not. This is why social wellness is so important to having a good quality of life.
Why is Social Wellness Important?
Social wellness is important because having strong social connections makes the other aspects of your life easier to manage. How? For example, if you have a good relationship with the people close to you, you’ll have less stress and you’ll be able to respond better to stress. Another example would be, if the people around you accept you, there could be a possibility that they’ll invite you to some social events or even just their normal routine in their life, like exercising or having lunch at their favorite place. These things will help you have a healthier lifestyle.
Having a healthy social wellness will also result in fewer health issues, and you’ll also be more likely to maintain a more positive outlook in life as having a positive social network increases your self-esteem.
Maybe you’re wondering, now that you know what social wellness is and its importance, how can you improve your social wellness? Don’t worry, in the next part of this article we will be giving you some tips to improve your social wellness.
How to Improve Your Social Wellness?
Sure, you want to have a good quality of life, so what are you still doing? Get up there and improve your social wellness too.
The first step you need to take is to observe your current relationships and social interactions. If you do not have a social network or feel like you’ve been neglecting some of your relationships, it is time to do the following to improve your social wellness:
- Practice being open and communicating honestly.
- Improve your listening skills and practice empathy.
- Reach out to be supportive of the people important to you.
- Accept blame and avoid criticism (if necessary).
- Treat your relationships as a place to give, and not ONLY a place to take.
If any of these tips for improving your social wellness do not help you in developing strong relationships with others, or if you do not see any improvements, we believe it is time for you to seek help from a mental health professional like us. Shirley Therapeutic and Consulting Services, LLC is a diverse therapy clinic that can meet the needs of anyone. If you’d like to talk about your mental health, feel free to message us here.
References:
BioNeurix. (n.d.). What is “Social Wellness,” and why does it matter? BioNeurix. Retrieved June 28, 2022, from https://bioneurix.com/blogs/blog/what-is-social-wellness-and-why-does-it-matter
Salehi, A., Marzban, M., Sourosh, M., Sharif, F., Nejabat, M., & Imanieh, M. H. (2017, January). Social well-being and related factors in students of School of Nursing and Midwifery. International journal of community based nursing and midwifery. Retrieved June 28, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5219568/
Social Wellness in 8 easy steps. Cone Health. (n.d.). Retrieved June 28, 2022, from https://www.conehealth.com/services/behavioral-health/8-ways-to-better-social-wellness/
Why is social wellness important? Why is Social Wellness Important? | Student Life | University of Nebraska Omaha. (n.d.). Retrieved June 28, 2022, from https://www.unomaha.edu/student-life/presidents-wellness-committee/social-wellness.php
