Because Being Socially Healthy Is Needed To Be Well-Fully Complete
Our wellness’ social factor is something we give little regard of compared to how we take care of our minds and even our physical bodies. Moreso if we are introverts as we think being socially inclined is something extroverts do and being the wallflower of every party we attend is our thing.
But as the World Health Organization included social well-being in its definition of health as opposed to just being physically healthy, it is but the right time to take into account our social health in our priority lists.
Social Health: What Is It?
Your interpersonal skills are the heart of your social health. How you handle the significant relationships in your life – spousal relationship, family, work connections, acquaintances, friendships – reflect these abilities. Additionally, these two also factor in on your social well-being:
- The way you adapt comfortably to social settings, and,
- How appropriate your actions are in social situations.
Social Health: How Vital Is It?
No man is an island, says an age-old adage. A man may have been initially created alone, but God saw he wasn’t happy. Thus, he was given a partner – someone human like him. Simply put, we are social beings, extrovert or not. Seeking for care and caring for others is stamped into our existences.We can never say we are fully healthy if our social health is crippled.
A study confirmed that having healthy social relationships can help alleviate severe physical maladies like cancer. Read more about this study at www.familyeducation.com. In fact, there are various studies on the connection between social support and physical health. And they all reached this one conclusion – that having positive social support and experiences affect the latter positively.
So, how do we enrich our social health?
- Interact physically.
Having many friends in your social media accounts count little in your social health. Unplug and connect real time with the people around you. Turn off your phone and interact the old-school way – talking! You won’t even notice how much load you’ve unburdened or how many hours you’ve spent when you do.
- Develop your listening skills.
Listen to others so they will listen to you in return. For relationships to work out, parties involved must be willing listeners to each other. According to John M. Grohol, Psy.D. “actually hear what the other person is saying — not just what you think they are saying or what you want to hear.”
- Take a break from your work once in a while.
You cannot have social interactions if you’re married to your work. Job breathers are essential to enhance creativity and increase productivity.
- Strengthen your family ties.
Being with friends is good but spending time with your family is better. Your friends could leave you at your lowest, but your family will always be there through your thicks and thins. According to Saira I Qureshi, MA, LMHC “It goes without saying that our immediate and extended families of relatives, at the end of the day, are all we have to look after and look up to. If our relations are good, our ties with each other are strong and trustworthy and if we are all respectful towards each other, then everyone’s own families are their community, their social support, a constant companion in both good to bad times in their lives.”
- Make new friends by being more active in your community.
Introverts need not worry about being more involved in their communities as it doesn’t mean you need to be a social butterfly. Get in clubs that matter to you. If you’re a bookworm, join a book club. Volunteer for things that are within your capabilities. Good with kids? Join a kids’ feeding group or ministry. “Having solid friendships is important for both our physical health and emotional well-being,” says Irene S. Levine, Ph.D.
The Sixth Way – All It Takes Is Just A Step Forward At A Time
Yes, every big leap starts with one small step. Being socially healthy isn’t about stepping out of your comfort zone and trying out things you usually wouldn’t do. Remember, little ways can do big things for your social health.
You know what matters? Putting your social health up front just how you do the other aspects of your whole wellbeing. Kudos on that!