As you know, people are social beings and need to connect with each other regularly for a healthy lifestyle. Social wellness is about nurturing yourself and your relationship with others to balance your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health while participating in social connections with others.
Over the past couple of years many have had to make do with technology to keep up their social connections. However, a chat on zoom, facetime or your social network of choice is not the same as real human face to face, in person connection.
If you feel like you are out of practise with face to face communication, you are not alone. As you navigate the landscape of face to face meetups again there are some simple ways you can mentally prepare yourself again.
- Surround yourself with good people. People who light you up and who you feel comfortable to be yourself with.
- Know yourself, this includes knowing what you need and value so that you can communicate it to others. When you know yourself and your boundaries you can engage more effectively with people who have similar interests and values.
- Practice self-care. While social interactions are needed, it is also important to take time out for you. Ensure that you get enough sleep, exercise, eat well and reward yourself.
- Engage in hobbies with your friends and family where you share can share a common interest such as sports, an art class, dance classes etc.t
- Be honest with yourself and others by taking responsibility for arguments. Conversations generally involve two or more people which means there will be times when not everyone agrees. So it is important to admit when you are wrong to ensure your relationships are not damaged or one person resents another. Taking ownership for your arguments will build respect and strengthen your social connections – personally and professionally.
When your social wellbeing is in good shape you will view the world around you in a more positive light. This has a flow on effect to other areas of your wellbeing.