What is social health?

It involves the ability to form satisfying interpersonal relationships with others, and also relates to your ability to adapt comfortably to different social situations and acting appropriately in a variety of settings.  

Our social wellness is more important to our overall health than you may think.  In fact those who socialise with others tend to live longer that those who prefer to isolate themselves.  So make sure to take some time for yourself and look at how you engage with the loved ones or friends in your life.

Develop Good Communication Skills 

How we communicate helps us to relate to others and speak up when we need to, whether you are naturally an extrovert or an introvert we can all benefit from good communication skills. Here a few helpful tips to keep in mind when building your communication skills.

Maintain eye contact when talking to individuals.

Be a good listener!

Give others plenty of time to contribute to the conversation

Be aware of your body language

Don’t respond right away, take time to develop a thoughtful response.

Build Healthy meaningful relationships.

We are a naturally social species. So it should be no surprise that strong, positive relationships can have a tremendous positive effect on our overall health. In fact,research shows people with strong, positive relationships tend to:

Have a healthier heart and blood pressure when responding to stress.

Improved Cardiovascualr and Endocrine health

An enhanced immune system

Respect and love yourself

Social wellness of course starts with how you view yourself.  One of the biggest misconceptions about self-love is that it’s a form of selfishness or vanity – when it’s quite the opposite!!

When you respect and love yourself, your mood is positive you are more confident and you are more likely to socialise with others.  In addition there are so many health benefits to self-love, such as it lowers the risks of depression and anxiety.

Create a safe support system

When we face difficulties in life, it’s important to have someone to lean of for emotional support.  Many of us allow lifes difficulties to build up inside.  This not only impacts on tour mental well-being but can also drive us to isolate from others.  When you seek help from a friend, family member of professional, you are allowing yourself to make a connection and receive perspective and strength to weather the storm.  It is never a sign of weakness to ask for help.

Social wellness is an important aspect of our lives.  Be sure to socialise with others through shared life experiences.