How to Improve Social Wellness

by | Jul 9, 2020

social wellness

How connected are you to the people who matter most to you? Do you schedule intentional time with them, or do they become an afterthought when you’re busy? When you prioritize and improve social wellness, your well being in all areas of life follows. 

We are made to connect with one another. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a model in psychology that suggests every person has five basic needs. The pyramid diagram depicts the hierarchy. Once your most basic physical and safety needs are met, the next most important need in your life is to experience love and belonging. 

Maslow suggests that it’s more important to connect with others than it is to believe in yourself or realize your personal potential. If this is true, then devoting more time to improve social wellness is a worthwhile pursuit.

Here are 5 ways to improve social wellness.

Schedule it

The things that are most important to you should find a non-negotiable place on your calendar. Set aside dedicated time to connect with others. Rather than eating alone, seek out a co-worker or schedule a lunch date via Zoom. Call a friend after lunch to check in or start your day with breakfast with your family. BetterYou helps you do this easily by setting a social connection goal and nudging you when needed. 

Interested in this topic? Learn more in this article about 3 reasons you should be prioritizing your social wellness just as much as your physical health.

Make it Personal 

Texting if often the default way to communicate these days, but don’t underestimate the importance of hearing and seeing one another. These voice and visual connections force you to truly listen and focus on the person in front of you. In turn, you feel heard and seen in a more personal way. With BetterYou’s built-in mobile prompts it’s easy to dial that number for a voice or video call.  

Build Transparency

Relationships are built through genuine, honest conversations with one another. Be honest with everyone, but choose a select few trustworthy people with whom you can share a deeper level of transparency. When you share the “real you,” you feel a deeper sense of connection, love, and security in who you are and build trust in others, too. 

Take Responsibility

It’s easy to blame others when things go wrong. Relationships between co-workers, family, and friends deteriorate quickly if you fail to take responsibility for a mistake or readily say you’re sorry when you’ve harmed a relationship. Be the first to apologize and seek restoration if needed. If you’re falling short of your social connection goal, do a quick check-in to see if one of your relationships needs some attention. This is a way to prioritize social wellness.

Listen First

Before you share your opinion, listen to the thoughts of others. This is especially important around hot topics where there is likely to be a difference of opinions. When it is your time to speak, do so with humility. Rather than arguing your point, approach the conversation with an openness to dialogue. Being right is usually less important than preserving the relationship. 

BetterYou’s platform is designed to help you improve social wellness, an often overlooked building block of wellbeing. Without strong and healthy connections to one another, however, your overall well-being suffers.

Create intentional time to see and hear one another, be honest, own your side of the relationship, and listen first to improve social wellness for short and long-term impact. BetterYou is here to help!

Interested in learning more about how we can help your employee population improve their steps and sleep while reducing burnout?

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