Social wellness is all about our relationships and how we interact with others and like everything else, if we don’t work on it, it can start to suffer. With that in mind, here are 20 things you can do to improve your social wellness.
- Alone Time – Spending time on your own helps you to reboot, unwind and spend some time thinking without distraction and get to know who you really are. The better you know yourself, the more you have to offer others.
- Chocolate – Chocolate is a mood lifter and good quality chocolate also has some health benefits when consumed in moderation.
- Coffee – Coffee has a range of positive effects on both your physical and mental fitness. Grabbing a cup of coffee and having a chat with a friend is also a great way to relax.
- Compliments – Giving someone else a compliment means you’re paying attention to them, and can kick-start your interactions on a positive note. Making other people feel good about themselves is a great way to start any kind of relationship.
- Conflict Resolution – Master the art of conflict resolution. There’s no need for conflicts to become unpleasant or hostile. Learn how to phrase requests so they don’t appear to be an attack. It will make it much easier negotiate a solution that is satisfactory to both parties.
- Diet – Eat healthily. It doesn’t mean you can never have a treat or that you have to pass up flavoursome food. Eat in moderation, pay attention to nutrition and don’t be afraid to splash out and eat your favourite junk foods once in a while.
- Exercise – Again, you don’t need to spend hours in the gym (unless that’s what you like), just try to move a bit more during the course of a day. People who know me in person will know that I’ve recently lost 25kg mostly by using a step to walk while I watch TV.
- Friends – Have friends and spend time with them. If you find you don’t have any, like so many of us do once adulthood takes over and we’re focussed on kids and careers you might need to make a bit more of an effort. Join a club or group around your hobbies or interests, ask someone to catch up for lunch or a coffee. If you’re more reclusive, look at online forums and find something that’s friendly and appeals to you.
- Gratitude – Be thankful for what you have and what you can do. I’m sure there’s a lot more you’d like in your life, but if you focus solely on what’s missing you’ll miss out on all the awesome stuff that’s right there in front of you.
- Holiday – Take a break every now and then and get away. It doesn’t have to be an expensive overseas trip or an extended time off work. Go away for the weekend, check into a local hotel overnight just get away from your everyday life and reset.
- Interest groups – Finding groups that share an interest with you lets you share your knowledge and learn from others. It’s a great way to make new friends, or just to learn something new. If you’re stuck for ideas, check out your local MeetUp groups
- Laugh – Laughter is great for your physical and emotional wellbeing. It relieves stress; releases endorphins and can help shift your focus from the distressing to a more positive perspective.
- Listening – Listening to others isn’t as easy as you’d think, but it is a great way to improve your relationships. Next time you’re having a conversation; don’t just think about what you’re going to say next – pay attention to what is being said to you.
- Outdoors – Get outside. Sunlight improves your mood and being outside encourages you to be more active and it supplies you with vitamin D which helps your body absorb calcium.
- Pet – Pets are a great way to relieve stress. They are generally affectionate, stroking them is stress relieving and if they’re anything like my cat they make you laugh on a regular basis.
- Plants – Plants not only look beautiful, they remove or relieve environmental toxins making your home a healthier place to be. Outdoors, gardening gets you exercise, sunlight and fresh air all of which relieve stress and promote physical health.
- Relax –Meditation, exercise, yoga, reading, being around friends and family, surfing the web, gardening, crafts, cooking or sex – whatever it is that you find relaxing make a point of doing it for a short time most days.
- Sleep – A proper amount of sleep is necessary to keep you performing well as well as to maintain mental and emotional fitness. A lack of sleep will see you lose concentration, become less productive, more aggressive or even depressed as well as reducing your physical fitness.
- Unhealthy people – You know the ones. Every time you talk to them you come away feeling sad, angry or exhausted. You don’t need them in your life and you’ll be a lot happier if you just find ways to avoid or minimise contact with them.
- Volunteer – Giving back to others is a great way to get your focus off yourself and onto others. It helps develop your sense of gratitude and empathy. It’s also a way to meet likeminded people and develop new skills. If you’re looking for opportunities, try SEEK Volunteer or Volunteering Australia.
So there are 20 things you can do to help improve and maintain your social wellness. The more you work on your social wellness, the better your relationships will be with your family; friends; work colleagues; suppliers; clients; and yourself.
