Reviewed Content on May 20, 2024
Child Support Services (CSS) has been producing Wellness related content since the beginning of CS Quest and when Teleworking Tips was first launched. All of this content perfectly compliments what we are learning about the Science of HOPE. This is another example of what inspired this “HOPE is All Around Us” series of articles. CSS has been, and is, nurturing HOPE across the agency, we just didn’t know it!
Having a sense of social wellness is connected to the Science of HOPE through connections with others in our lives who we can rely on, trust, and collaborate with. These others in our lives can be beneficial in goal setting, figuring out the pathways to achieving goals, and they can help us stay motivated to achieve the goals we set.
Social wellness refers to our relationships and how we interact with others. We begin socialization in school where we learn more about fitting in and being a member of the greater community and society.
This means our families, church/synagogue/mosque, schools, and peers shape our social identity, beliefs, and behaviors. The degree of family dysfunction, as well as abuse (including substance abuse or other addictions) contributes significantly to our perceptions of ourselves and others. How healthy our family is when growing up, the healthier we most likely will be when we begin our own families.
You may be wondering, what exactly is wellness? The answer to that question can be found in the CS Quest article What is Wellness?. This article not only defines wellness but explains the different domains of wellness, including social wellness. According to this article, social wellness is important because it helps you have healthy relationships with others and develop assertive skills, like telling someone what you need, and getting more comfortable in social situations. The article goes on the say that a positive social network increases self-esteem, and it assists you in communication, trust and conflict management. Significantly it can increase resilience, which is crucial in maintaining HOPE. The article lists ways to establish social wellness including evaluating your social needs, keeping in touch with (supportive) friends and family, and participating in group discussions as well as practicing active listening.
Lots of research has shown that social support is important to our functioning. In the CS Quest article Practicing Self-Care for Your Social Wellness the benefits of social relationships are discussed, as well as ways to cultivate social wellness. While this article is mainly concerned with surviving the holiday season without getting stressed and anxious, it has good advice for the entire year.
Gratitude is something we don’t usually associate with social wellness, but, nonetheless, when we are grateful for others in our lives we are boosting our social wellness. Gratitude is also an easy pathway to provide and receive the gift of HOPE. This is pointed out in the CS Quest article Why is Gratitude Good for You? specifically stating, “… gratitude is a social emotion. It is seen as a relationship-strengthening emotion because it requires us to see how we’ve been supported and affirmed by other people.” This section of the article goes on to say that true gratitude involves a humble dependence on others. By recognizing how others have assisted us in some way we can appreciate them even more and value our relationship with them.
We have lots of people in our lives who contribute to our social wellness. Recognizing them and how they are involved in making tomorrow better than today can bring us closer to them and nurture the Science of HOPE.