6 Tips to Help Maintain Social Wellness

July is Social Wellness Month!

Over the past five years, maintaining social wellness has become more challenging — from the isolation of pandemic-era distancing to the constant digital access of life at our fingertips.

Nurturing social relationships and participating in activities that will strengthen our support systems and social connections, can build healthy skills that support both mental health and physical health. 

"Through modeling personal social wellness, our experience improves our own functioning including interactions with others,” said Barghahn, M.S. “This has a ripple effect that may encourage others to also make healthier choices in holistic balance in life.”

Here are six tips for improving your social wellness:

Make Connections

• Join with others enjoying an activity you enjoy. Finding others that enjoy the same things as you can help you make connections.

• Learn a New Skill

• Help others by volunteering in your community.

Take Care of Yourself While Caring for Others

• Plan ahead. Structure your lists and try to do your same activities at the same time each day.

• Don't Race to Get Everything Done! Pausing your activities can help you to reorganize your thoughts.

• Eat Healthy! Avoid high fatty and processed foods. Try eating more fresh and organic veggies, fruits, legumes, leafy greens, seeds, etc.

• Begin an herbal supplement regimen that focuses on nourishing the body as a whole.

Get Active Together

• Start a small club with friends or neighbors to help you get active.

• Support safe walking areas in your community.

• If you're a mom, try inviting other moms at your child's school to join you in a daily walk at the park.

Bond with Your Kids

• It's Summer break! Encourage your children to go outside and play together with the dog, plant something, jump on a trampoline, play and get wet with the water hose, throw water balloons at each other, etc.

• Use kind words, actions and gestures with kids. They are sensitive with big feelings.

• Ask your children about their concerns, worries and goals. Help them make decisions.

Build Healthy Relationships

• Share your feelings honestly

• Voice your opinions in a respectful manner

• Avoid being overly critical. Nobody is perfect and we all have areas we can improve in.

• Give genuine compliments. You can completely turn someone's day around in a positive way!

• Make that phone call or text to say "hello, how are you doing?", and actually listen.

Shape Your Family’s Health Habits

• By setting a good example, others may follow.

• Healthy habits can be fun, don’t make them a chore.

•Don’t feel the need to change everything at once.

Making gradual changes can increase self-efficacy and confidence in developing healthier habits that become natural and permanent.