Humans are social beings, and being social boosts social well-being. But what does social well-being mean?
Social well-being can be loosely defined as developing, sustaining and sharing meaningful relationships with others. This can also include how we interact with communities and other social structures.
Managing social relationships is critical for our physical and mental health. Relationships offer support during difficult times, and having good social wellness allows you to build healthy relationships as well as foster genuine connections with others. Surrounding yourself with a positive network increases self-esteem, creates healthy boundaries, encourages communication, and builds trust and conflict management. It is critical to emotional resilience. Researchers have found that doubling the amount of friends has the same effect on happiness as increasing income by 50 percent. (streetcivics.com) By friends, we mean having quality friends, ones that are trustworthy, supportive and you enjoy being with. Healthy social well-being is also related to good health. People with healthy social wellness recover from injuries faster and even heal from major health problems like heart attack and stroke more quickly.
As creatives we often work alone, which allows us to concentrate and create. But without awareness, development, and maintenance of our social well-being, we risk isolation. This is different from the “me time” we need. Social isolation can lead to negative thoughts, fear and leads to loneliness.
There are easy ways you can enhance your social wellbeing.
Question your social life and what you are satisfied with and what you might want to improve on.
Keep in touch with supportive friends and family.
Participate in group discussions and focus on active listening.
Engage in volunteer work that you are passionate about.
Celebrate traditions and culture.
Engage in community activities.
Finally join a club or organization for creatives.
If you are ready for a supportive creative community, consider being a guest at one of our monthly online meetings, where we uplift, inspire, support one another (and have a lot of fun)! Find out more here.