One piece of the pie when it comes to wellness is social health and the connection we have with both ourselves and others. It can sometimes be overlooked, but it plays a vital role in supporting a healthy mind and body.
How?
Healthy relationships can provide a support network that may:
- lessen stress
- decrease risk of depression and anxiety
- enhance immunity
- lower risk of cardiovascular disease
- increase longevity
So how can you reconnect with those you know and seek out new relationships with those you don’t?
Here are a few suggestions Dr. Graves has for refreshing and building social health in the new year!
Surround yourself with those who give back to you and limit time with those who don’t.
This is not in the sense of tangible items, but rather how others fill or drain your emotional bucket.
Relationships that have healthy give and take in conversation, active listening, and overall effort as well as those which have positive influence in your life can offer a safe and comforting opportunity to be oneself, live authentically, and share honest feelings – all things that can support wellbeing. Seek out and invest in these relationships when possible.
On the contrary, relationships that increase stress and/or leave you feeling drained may be depleting your emotional bucket rather than replenishing it. Consider limiting time with these interactions or breaking up time together for shorter periods.
Practice self-care so you can be there for others.
Just as surrounding our own selves with those who help fill our buckets, it can be important to be that for others. Taking care of oneself can manifest the energy and mental head space to be able to do that.
Think about what supports a healthy relationship from your end. Is it having adequate quiet time to calm your own mind so you can truly listen to others? Maybe finding movement that decreases your stress before always unloading everything unto someone else? Or, striving for a healthier diet to feel good about yourself and your goals?
Remember that you play just as important a role in the relationship as the other person.
Communicate your needs.
Communication can be a key to healthy relationships, but it can also be hard!
For example, when knowing someone for a long time, it may be easy assume one knows exactly what we are thinking, feeling, and/or needing. Or, when we don’t know someone very well it may be difficult to be open and honest for fear of not being liked or loved.
Being forthright with what we need in the relationship, however, can decrease unmet expectations and miscommunication while building trust and respect.
Ask yourself what you need for the relationship to be healthy (both from the other person and yourself) and share.
Although it may not be commonly thought of as an aspect to overall wellbeing, social health can be a vital aspect to life (and the longevity of it).
For additional support in this area of health and others, please contact our office at (303) 688-6698 or click here to schedule an appointment with one of our practitioners.
The CNMA office provides naturopathic care, acupuncture, testing, massage, and holistic counseling to those in Castle Rock, Castle Pines, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Centennial, Parker, Larkspur, Monument, Colorado Springs, and the greater Denver metro area. For those outside of these areas, virtual appointments are available.
REFERENCES:
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/statistics/relationships-community-statistics
https://www.nih.gov/health-information/social-wellness-toolkit
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