July is Social Wellness Month
We all know how important our friends and family are to us. They serve as a support system and share in life’s ups and downs. July is Social Wellness Month, a time to grow relationships and receive social support to improve our daily lives.
“Social health is a part of self-care and we must place importance on this to live a fulfilling life,” said Johnnie Taylor, III, MA, “By maintaining a positive self-image and having a support system in times of crisis, our physical health will be improved due to stress reduction.”
Social support can come in various forms, but not all of them work for everyone. They include:
- Emotional - actions taken to make someone else feel cared for.
- Instrumental - physical support, which could be money and housekeeping.
- Informational - providing information to benefit someone.
“It helps to know what type of social support is needed in each situation in order to provide the “right” support that will have a positive effect on the person rather than being detrimental to their mental well-being,” adds Taylor.
Here are 4 ways to improve your social wellness:
- Practice gratitude. Being grateful for someone or something in your life can make your relationships stronger.
- Acceptance of yourself and others. Having an understanding of where someone else is coming from, their ideas and views, and not judging them, allows for the development of a healthy relationship.
- Be forgiving. Letting go when someone has hurt you is important for healing and allows you to move forward in your relationships.
- Balance social time and alone time. You don’t have to always be social. Gallup Research found that the happiest people spend about 6-7 hours daily socializing. It’s important to balance this with some time for yourself...for reflection, doing activities you enjoy, and getting to know yourself.
If you are struggling with making social connections or feeling anxious or stressed in a relationship, clinicians in our Counseling & Wellness Centers are available to help via our telehealth services. Call our main number at 844-4-ACENDA (844-422-3632) for more information.