Happy April Jags! Lets talk wellness!
There are 8 overall dimensions or categories of wellness. Each dimension can and will influence the other dimensions. We will be doing a quick dive to explore each dimension of wellness in this mini-series. We will discuss what each dimension is devised of, how it can impact other parts of your wellness, and more!
Let’s quickly discuss wellness vs. health. Health just means the absence of disease. While wellness is more of a gradient, and the goal of wellness is for one to thrive in each aspect.
The next dimension to explore is social wellness. Social wellness refers to the relationships we have and how we interact with others. Social wellness is all about people connecting with people. This can be in relation to family members, spouses, coworkers, friends, even neighbors! Social wellness is different for everyone, but it can include how you express yourself. As humans, we need social interaction in some form and to some extent. If you are an introvert or an extrovert, you will benefit from connecting in some way with other people! The United States Surgeon General has recently notified the public of the “loneliness epidemic” that is currently going on due to the pandemic and the changes that have occurred to society such as working remote more, virtual meetings, and other digital replacements.
The benefits of social wellness include increased self-esteem, reduced depression and anxiety, increased longevity, and development of life skills. Social wellness is impacted by the other dimensions of wellness immensely. Lack of social wellness can decrease mental and physical health, it can also reduce your emotional wellness. Many other dimensions of wellness can serve as opportunities to interact with friends, family, colleagues, etc. Think about physical wellness, work out with a buddy, walk with your spouse, go to a group fitness class, or even going to a public park! Your spiritual wellness could provide opportunities if you practice a religion with other people, or if you practice meditation. Even something like environmental could provide social wellness opportunities during things like a community clean up or spending time in public outdoor spaces.
So here are a few tips to try and start incorporating into your daily schedule to improve your social wellness:
- Stay in touch with friends and family, you can text, call/ facetime, or even visit in person.
- Join a group, it could be a club, organization, or even going to a group fitness class. There are so many options with this! Find something that interests you and you enjoy, chances are someone else likes that topic too!
- Volunteer in your community. This can be through tutoring, doing a neighborhood clean up, or for a charity like your local animal shelter!
- Surround yourself with people you care about. In more ways than one, you will benefit from a variety of social interactions.
That is all for social wellness. Starting to see how each dimension can impact the others?
Get Healthy SHHS!
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