How to Nurture Social Wellness in Your Life

Copyright (c) 2008 Konstantin Koss

No man is an island unto himself, which explains why people feel the need to communicate, interact and form strong relationships with other people. With social wellness, a person will have the capability to socialize, be confident and function normally with other people. The lack of social wellness often leads to anti-social behavior and causes inability to adjust in social surroundings.

*What is Social Wellness?*

Social wellness refers to the relationships and connections we have with others. It also refers to our capability to build and maintain relationships, develop intimacy with family and friends and manage our feelings and emotions. Social Wellness Group Image

Social wellness is an important element in every person's life, primarily because it helps him recognize his natural interdependence with others, regardless of the relationship. A person who is well-adjusted on a social level is capable of making friends, offering support to others and becoming a productive member of the society he lives in.

Social wellness also encourages a person to focus on other people's needs and make his contribution for the greater good of the community. It also helps her maximize and share her life experiences.

*Indications of Social Wellness*

There are certain standards with which our social wellness is known and measured. These include:

-positive relationships and interaction with other people

-ability to build and nurture relationships

-ability to empathize and care

-ability to function in social situations

-willingness to accept other people's attention and care

*Measuring Your Social Wellness*

There are several factors that determine the state of your social wellness. These are:

-the intention you have to give time for socialization with family, friends and acquaintances

-the quality of your relationships

-your willingness to learn about others and explore information regarding other people

-the enjoyment you feel when you spend time with other people

If any of these factors are missing in your life, it's probably time to consider carefully what you have been doing in order to address this concern and make the proper steps to improve this area of your life.

*Creating Social Wellness in Your Life*

Nobody attains perfection in his life, mainly because life is a process and will continue to evolve. However, people can perceive perfection in terms of happiness and satisfaction. To create social wellness, here are some of the most important steps you can take:

Know your needs.

We all have unique needs. What someone might find important may seem irrelevant to you and vice versa. Learn to identify what your needs are so you don't feel the pressure to perform in an environment you don't enjoy or care about.

Reach out.

Offering friendship to people is a first step to social wellness. Without this initiative, it will be difficult for you to take advantage of potentially productive relationships. Consider joining groups and clubs that focus on your interests. Explore other avenues that may present certain possibilities for you, such as volunteer work and travel.

Choose your relationships.

Some relationships can take quite a toll on people. Sometimes, it could come from experiences with an insincere friend, an abusive partner or an overbearing relative. The problem here is that all of these can cause unnecessary strain on your emotional state and affect your ability to function socially.

Learn to build and stay in healthy relationships. These relationships involve people you care about and who care about you and your well-being. Generally, these are people whom you feel can nurture and support your needs and whose needs you yourself can offer support for. Since there is trust and compassion, you feel safe and satisfied, two vital ingredients for social wellness.

Don't feel the pressure to conform.

This is a rather tricky step because often, conformity is required in the society we live in. However, cooperating with standards and mores doesn't necessarily mean changing yourself and becoming a person you are not. Everybody's different and it's our job to accept that.

When trying to conform, you'll find that the pressure to change yourself will affect you in many ways, all of them negative.

Learn to communicate effectively.

You can only do so much about hiding your feeling and thoughts. Being able to communicate well is a vital component of social wellness because this is generally how you initiate relationships in the first place.

Make it a practice to constantly work on your social connections and soon you will have an abundance of what we call "social wellness"