SOCIAL WELLNESS

Humans are considered to be social beings that are advantageous for survival. For instance, humans have grouped together since the Stone Ages to repel an intruder, or while one group member hunts for food, another defends the young. The connectivity that people create is what social wellness is all about. The strength of our relationships with others (particularly with family members) significantly impacts the type of support we receive during tough times.

What exactly is social wellness, and why is it even essential, is the topic of today's post. The ability to develop and maintain relationships with others is referred to as social wellness. Isn't it that simple? Yes, indeed... In essence, it is the ability to interact with others and encourage healthy communication inside these relationships. The path to social wellness, like all journeys, starts with a single step. Viewing relationships as a component of your entire well-being can help you change your mind.

Your perspective on what a relationship means to you plays a role in propelling you toward social wellness. Some people have developed a negative perception of people in general due to their experiences, which has caused them to reject genuine friendship possibilities and even harmed their relationships with immediate family members. Cultivating social wellness entails communicating with other people regularly and offering a listening ear and encouragement when others require it—not always thinking or believing that everyone is against oneself or out to get you. This can really raise your stress level and cause you to live a shorter life. Unfortunately, people are growing more isolated than ever in this non-face-to-face digital social networking age.

Whether or not a threat or invader is present, social isolation, loneliness, and a lack of pleasant social contacts can have a severe impact on our physical, emotional, and mental health. According to research, loneliness and isolation hurt our quality and quantity of life. This means that the extent to which one perceives his life to good is also dependent on one's social values and acceptance. In fact, when we spend a lot of time alone, our stress (fight or flight) reaction tends to kick in. The isolated person is more likely to be vigilant in order to keep watch and remain safe, and this would cause a rise in stress hormones such as cortisol. Furthermore, social Isolation's health risks have been found to be comparable to those of smoking, high blood pressure, and obesity. Even those who cherish their alone time benefit from positive contacts with others, although they may prefer to be in smaller groups and spend shorter time in those groups.

I have realized that having a solid social connection can help you live a healthier life. Friendship, laughing, excellent conversation, and other meaningful and supportive interactions with people or pets promote happiness hormones like oxytocin and endorphins, resulting in a more robust endocrine system, healthier cardiovascular functioning, and an increased immune system. In this sense, social well-being is concerned with developing and maintaining more beneficial relationships with friends, family members, romantic partners, coworkers, or other members of your community.

Here are some ways you can increase your social wellness;

Try to make time each week to spend with a significant other in your life. Acknowledge and encourage the feelings, hopes, and dreams of others, don’t be a dream killer. Respect others as they are. Focus on the positive aspects of a relationship or circumstance, that is do not dwell on every little negativity. Also, accept responsibility for your part in any relationship breakup when appropriate. A lot of people would always blame the opposite party for everything. Express gratitude in spoken and nonverbal ways; this would even show your emotional intelligence level. Don't always jump to conclusions. Instead, be open and inquiring about the other person's point of view, then make an effort to comprehend the entire picture. You can’t always be the right one you know… Maintain appropriate limits in your relationship and a healthy level of competition. This would show when you feel pleased with the accomplishments of others.

You should consider if the relationship you are in is healthy if you discover that it makes you more stressed out or drains your vitality. This can occur when you are in the company of someone who is critical and negative or engages in harmful and self-destructive conduct. If a relationship is causing you pain, you must permit yourself to stop it. Your social support network should make you feel safe, not worried.

....till next time

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