Practicing Self-Care for Your Social Wellness

“When you discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough to make room for it in your life.” – Jean Shinoda Bolen

With the holidays right around the corner it’s very important that all of us remember to practice some self-care during this seemingly stressful season. Whether you’re traveling home to be with your families or snuggling up with your pets, it’s essential to remember to focus on your own needs as well during this busy time of year and as the New Year approaches.

The holiday season is prime time for gatherings, but our will to socialize is more than mere tradition. Positive social relationships and activities offer a powerful health benefit. This area of health is known as social wellness, a lifestyle dimension that incorporates our full spectrum of relationships and social activities: what connections do we have, what do we do to cultivate them, and what level of support do we receive from them? Whether it’s a family holiday dinner, a party with neighbors or quality time with a best friend, we’re filling our physiological and emotional wells.

Having a good social life, be it during the holiday season or any other time, has benefits that go far beyond happiness. Humans are social animals and, as such, our social wellness is deeply tied to our overall health in more ways than you would think. What is social wellness? Social Wellness refers to one’s ability to interact with people around them. It involves using good communications skills, having meaningful relationships, respecting yourself and others, and creating a support system that includes family members and friends. It is the sum total of our positive social activities and relationships.

Here are 6 ways your social wellness can affect your health:

1. Boosts the Immune System – A number of studies have shown the immune benefits of maintaining positive relationships. One study, done at Carnegie Mellon University, showed that lonely individuals with smaller social networks have a comparatively poor antibody response when given vaccinations. Likewise, they have lower cortisol levels.
2. Increased Mental Stability – It should come as no surprise that your mental health and stability is largely impacted by the social network in which you navigate each day. Individuals without many relationships and a small group of friends often find themselves stuck in a pattern of lonely, negative thoughts. On the other side, individuals with large social networks have a more positive outlook. They feel as though they have more options and, thus, circumvent patterns of negativity.
3. Improves Heart Health – In a study published in Psychology and Aging, loneliness was found to be a significant risk factor for increased systolic blood pressure. The risk was found to be independent of other predictors such as age, gender, or race. Keeping a healthy social life will keep you in good physical condition as well (with limits, of course).
4. Better Sleep – Better social lives usually result in less stress and better sleep. Better sleep then plays numerous roles in other aspects of life. Generally, when individuals feel isolated they will also have feelings of tiredness, decreased vitality, and decreased energy.
5. Long Life – In a meta-analysis titled Social Relationships and Mortality Risk published in PLOS ONE scientific journal, the authors sought out to determine how large a role that social relationships may play in the risk of mortality. What they found is surprising. Social relationships have a comparable influence on mortality as well-established risk factors.
6. Better Memory – As we age, one of the unfortunate side effects is a risk of memory loss. Fortunately, having a large social network has been shown to dramatically decrease that risk. Studies have already shown that an active social life in the elderly is able to prevent cognitive decline and decrease the risk of dementia, but new studies are coming out showing that memory is also affected. Over a 6 year period, one study was able to show that patients with the highest amount of social interaction also had the slowest rate of memory decline.

Experts agree the quality of our most intimate connections (e.g. partners, family, close friends) hold the most sway over our social wellbeing. While we might enjoy a full social calendar or build large social media networks, it’s the depth and closeness of our inner circles that tend to register most health-wise. Still, every effort we make to feel connected with the people we encounter each day can fill our social well and allow us to feel more integrated, one of the factors cited in research.

How would you rate your social wellness these days? You might want to take the Social Wellness Assessment.

5 Tips to Help You Stay Happy, Healthy and Sane During the Holidays

No matter what holiday you celebrate, December does not have to mean stress. Wouldn’t it be great to find yourself rested and refreshed at the turn of the New Year? Unfortunately, for many of us, things like overspending, multiple obligations, and managing family expectations can create a lot of stress around the holidays. Learn practical tips about how to simply prioritize and plan ahead to help manage holiday stress.

According to one famous old song, “the holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year”. Yet Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza and New Year’s (plus the hectic weeks surrounding them) often leave many of us feeling depleted, depressed and downright stressed out—no matter how much we were looking forward to time spent with family and friends. The time around the holidays can be the hardest few weeks to stick to a healthy living lifestyle. You are tempted by sweets, treats and just way too much food in general at every corner.

Here are 5 tips have helped many people to stick to their healthy regime and stay relaxed around the holiday season:

1. Eat before you go to any holiday gathering. You might be thinking of skipping meals to indulge in one large holiday dinner with the entire family. Skipping meals will make you hungry and more likely to overeat. Start your day with a good, healthy breakfast. You don’t want to spend the day being irritated because you are starving, or be ready for nap time after overeating.
2. Drink some water before you go and alternate higher calorie drinks like alcoholic beverages, non-alcoholic cocktails or hot chocolate with water while you are at the holiday party. Drinks are easy to consume but can have a lot of hidden calories in them.
3. Bundle up and hit the road for a brisk walk, jog or run. Exercise produces endorphins, feel-good chemicals that will make your entire body happier. Plus, a few minutes out in the cold winter air will perk you up and give you energy to get back to everything on your holiday to-do list.
4. Don’t cut out your holiday treats completely. Allowing yourself the occasional small indulgence is encouraged as you are less likely to go overboard when you eat your favorite treats from time to time. The key is to enjoy small portions or bites of your favorite foods.
5. Take some time to relax. The holidays can be a very stressful season if not properly managed. It is so easy to overeat or medicate ourselves with food when we are stressed. Schedule some extra time just for you. Sit in front of the fire with a good book or your favorite magazine, take a bath or go for a walk. Find something that you enjoy and will make you feel calm and help you distress.

Enjoy the holidays and remember they are not only about food, but more importantly about spending time with friends and family together. Research has shown that physical affection increases oxytocin and dopamine which are chemicals that reduce stress. Make plenty of time throughout the holiday season to hug your friends, kiss your spouse, and cuddle with your kids. You’ll feel better, they’ll feel better, and you’ll all enjoy these joyful weeks a whole lot more. Have fun during this special time of the year, be mindful and enjoy the occasional treat.

7 Ways to Successfully Cultivate Social Wellness for Life

Social wellness is about nurturing ourselves, others and our relationships. Social wellness consists of not only balancing our own physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health, but also actively participating as an interdependent piece of the bigger puzzle of humankind. Thus, even as we care about our personal connections, we also care about the greater good of society, including our communities and the environment.

Social wellness involves openly communicating needs, feelings, thoughts and desires to those we trust, and actively listening with empathy when they share with us. It involves engaging in and enjoying positive interactions with other people in work and leisure and building and maintaining meaningful friendships, intimate relationships and professional connections.

To cultivate your habits of social wellness, follow these 7 guidelines:

1. Practice Self-Care. Finding balance in life can be difficult at times, and we are much more prepared to deal with obstacles if we are in a good habit of practicing self-care. Self-care embraces basic needs such as getting enough sleep, bathing and brushing your teeth, eating healthy, exercising regularly and avoiding negative coping mechanisms like smoking or over-drinking. It also includes using positive coping skills to manage stress, self-soothe and relax through fulfilling or creative outlets like hobbies, crafts, art, sports activities, hiking, dancing, and social interactions with friends. You may also choose to engage in activities that nurture you emotionally, mentally, or spiritually, such as meditation, yoga, therapy, journaling, taking classes in areas of interest, spiritual retreats or attending religious services. You might want to try the 12 Days of Wellness Challenge!
2. Know Thyself. Get to know yourself—identify your needs, preferences and values and communicate them to the people around you. Knowing who you are, who you want to be and where your boundaries lie supports you to engage in positive relationships with people who have similar interests and values, and can relate to you while encouraging your growth.
3. Don’t Criticize, Judge or Blame. People can easily get caught up in self-critical thinking, which perpetuates low self-esteem, contributes to depression and anxiety, and inhibits social interaction. No one wants to be judged, criticized or blamed, and if those dynamics are present, it can indicate an unhealthy, and potentially abusive, relationship.
4. Own Up to Your Part. In every relationship, there are two people involved and each contributes to any situation that comes up, whether positive or negative. Take responsibility for yourself in disagreements or conflict by using “I” language and don’t push all the blame onto the other person. When an individual argues for the sake of being “right” rather than trying to understand the other side, the other person may feel invalidated or unheard. This can result in resentment, further conflict and the eventual end of the relationship.
5. Rekindle old friendships and nurture relationships with people who are respectful, positive and supportive. No human being is perfect. Everyone gets caught up in the challenges of daily life at times, and rekindling old relationships that have been positive ones in the past is a great way to strengthen your social support system. Maintaining friendships with individuals who respect, love and accept you for who you are is crucial to our social wellness.
6. Don’t be a flake! Be mindful of the commitments you make and keep them. Know your limitations and don’t spread yourself too thin. Before making a commitment, be sure that you can realistically meet that expectation, taking into account and prior commitments and self-care.
7. Appreciate Yourself and Others. Giving more energy to positives than negatives helps to keep us happier, healthier, and more hopeful. Regularly acknowledging the positive qualities you see in yourself and paying genuine compliments to others you care about feels good all the way around. The power of positive thinking can go a long way!

Cultivating social wellness is like keeping a flower garden—it takes intention, energy, time, care and effort—and is an ongoing process that requires attention throughout our entire life. It is important to choose a proper plot, carefully prepare the soil, plant the best seeds, and be sure to provide plenty of water and nutrients. In gardening, as in relationships, providing protection from bad weather and regularly weeding out negativity helps to ensure continued growth and beautiful blossoms for a lifetime!