Wellness Makeover Wednesday: 12/23/2015-Social Wellness
Social Wellness involves not only one’s ability to interact with people around them, but it also involves creating and maintaining balance in using good communications skills, having meaningful relationships, respecting yourself and others, and creating a support system that includes family members and friends.
We think that it is fair to say that our “social wellness” can change and be dependent upon the other aspects of our wellness. If you are not eating well, it can be affect your state of mind. If you are doing last minute shopping for the Holidays, try to calm your mind before doing so. Also, ask yourself if you are keeping within your financial budget. Also, ask if you are eating and spending based upon emotions.
For those who naturally have the ability, comfort and desire to socialize, be confident and function in all situations that involve other people, social wellness will naturally be less of a challenge than for someone who does not.
Whew, that sounds a little overwhelming, right? You may be thinking, can’t I meet someone for coffee and call it a day? Of course! BUT, what if you really do not want coffee and you are not sure how to tell the person you are meeting but you are stressed about telling them because you are a “people pleaser” ?
Creating and maintaining balance between being empathetic , accepting and agreeable as opposed to so passive that you feel as if you are just along for a ride that you are not interested in taking, can be an issue. Then, you find yourself canceling plans a few times and being annoyed that this person is hard to communicate your feelings to. So, having trouble with respecting yourself or your comfort zone, needs, desires etc. can compromise your social wellness.
NOTE FROM DAWN: I am a people pleaser. I am constantly trying to be empathetic and mindful
which helps me to strike that balance and as an empath and a people pleaser, I have my work cut out for me.
What the heck is an Empath?
It’s not a trait that is learned. You are always open, so to speak, to process other people’s feelings and energy, which means that you really feel, and in many cases take on the emotions of others.
Many empaths experience things like chronic fatigue, environmental sensitivities, or unexplained aches and pains daily.***
*** Click here for source
There are some major benefits to to creating and maintaining Social Wellness:
- A strong social network may create a good mood and enhance self-esteem.
- Socially isolated people may be more susceptible to illness.
- Warm, close friendships may cause higher levels of immunoglobulin A (an antibody that helps keep away respiratory infections and cavities).
- People who maintain their social network and support systems may do better under stress
- Human contact, such as hugging may improve health.
- Laughter really is good medicine.
- Cholesterol levels may go up when human companionship is lacking.
What if I am an “introvert”?
Extraversion and Introversion are one of the preferences used in the Jungian Type Inventory. The naming is unfortunately a bit archaic as extraversion is not about being loud and introversion is not about being shy. It is about where people get their energy and motivation from: other people or within themselves.*
*Click here for source
When you distill it down to its essence, the actual difference between Introverts and Extroverts is this: for Introverts, the inner world is the ‘real world’. For Extroverts, the external world is the ‘real world’. This is why Introverts will pause slightly before they speak, as if they’re making sure their words first resonant internally before they put it out ‘to the world’. Extroverts are the opposite – they’ll often speak while they’re thinking, as if hearing it outside of themselves helps them determine the value or truth of their own statement.**
** Click here for source
Carl Jung and the developers of the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator provide a different perspective and suggest that everyone has both an extraverted side and an introverted side, with one being more dominant than the other.
NOTE FROM DAWN: This makes sense to me actually. A friend put it perfectly
“I am an introvert surviving as an extrovert.”.
Some tips for Social Wellness
- Reach out and ask for help.
- Improve your active listening skills.
- Socialize off-line as well as online.
- Look for similarities rather than differences in others.
- Make it a regular thing. Schedule a regular date to do something helps you stay consistently connected.
- Embrace diversity and be aware of your biases.
- Learn to recognize signs of an unhealthy relationship.
- Learn how to apologize whole-heartedly when you are wrong or hurt someone else, even unintentionally.
- Learn the power of forgiveness.
NOTE FROM DAWN: I think the above graphic is great note or thought to close with. I think I may hang it up on the mirror in my bathroom. I also suggest checking in on your other aspects of wellness.
Signing out for now.
Yours in Wellness,
Dawn & Kate
