We all need a wellness check sometimes. And wellness can come in many forms for different people. Lifestyle is a hot topic for people looking to improve their physical and mental health, but it’s often forgotten that social health contributes to overall wellness. Relationship management and social wellness are critical to a healthy life, and July is the month just for that. This July, see how you can incorporate these wellness check tips to nourish yourself during Social Wellness Month.
What is social wellness?
Physical wellness refers to our body, mental wellness to our minds, and social wellness to the health of our relationships with others. Loneliness, which about one-third of all Americans have reported feeling in their daily lives, can occur in those with a lack of friendships, social outings, and overall social interactions.
Social wellness is our ability to connect with others in our life, boosting empathy, healthy communication, and support. While social wellness includes a supportive environment for ourselves, it also means giving social support to those we care about. Social health and wellness isn’t just focused on specific people in our lives and can include family, friends, romantic interests, workplace relationships, and more.
How does your social life affect your health?
Studies have shown that those with cultivated relationships find themselves with an improved outlook on life. Positive health benefits, such as improved levels of stress, resilience, and energy, are enjoyed by those who have a healthy social life. According to one study, the presence of relationships can even decrease the risk of death and illnesses.
Research has revealed that loneliness can diminish your lifespan by up to eight years, heightening the likelihood of developing heart disease, experiencing elevated stress levels, and facing depression.
About 6.8 million in America suffer from anxiety and 60% of the population from loneliness. Those who engage in healthy social connections can benefit from reduced symptoms of isolation, nurtured by better grief and negative thought management. The friends you surround yourself with can even spur personal development, increasing your ability to make positive choices regarding your health.
Unhealthy relationships are just as impactful as healthy relationships. While healthy interactions bring great health benefits, unhealthy relationships can increase stress levels, depression and anxiety. Cultivating healthy connections while stepping away from toxic ones is key to keeping yourself healthy.
Get out of your comfort zone
So how do you grow healthy relationships in the first place? A good starting place is getting out of your comfort zone. To make lasting connections and maintain old friendships, you’ll need to get out into the world and meet people.
Leave your home and seek out groups based on mutual likes, hobbies, and interests if you want to make new friends. Talking to new people might seem daunting. However, putting yourself out there is the first step to widening your social circle. You might have your doubts at first, but soon you’ll find yourself surrounded by potential forever friends.
Nourish your current relationships
Meeting new people is a great way to improve your social circle, but so is spending time with the people you’ve already become well acquainted with. Friends and family are great sources of motivation and empathy you can express yourself and grow with.
Hanging out with friends can help provide a sense of belonging, adding positivity to your life. Trust between friends is also the backbone of a support group you can feel comfortable reaching out to despite distance, time, and work. Studies prove that nourishing relationships can boost your resilience to hard times in your life, impacting long-term mental health.
Balance your time
Social wellness can be a lot to manage and learning to take time to care for yourself while meeting up with friends is something that will keep your energy balanced.
For the best self-care, make sure to take time for yourself outside of loved ones. When you take time to be alone, you can pursue the things that make you happy, recharge your energy for future relationship management, set boundaries, and heal from your emotions. Maintain your health through diet, exercise, and self-care alongside your social life for a fuller, healthier lifestyle.
Celebrating Social Wellness Month creates awareness of how our social lives impact our everyday health. With the help of doctors, researchers, and even our friends, we can learn how to manage our social lives to be our healthiest and happiest selves. Take charge of your social wellness today with these self-care tips that lead to a healthier lifestyle.
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