Sunday Nov 22 2009

Social Wellness

"You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people that you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you."
-Dale Carnegie

Social wellness refers to our ability to effectively live up to the expectations and demands of our personal roles without harming others. We all occupy many roles, including brother or sister, son or daughter, friend, teacher, or student. With each of these roles, there are expectations that we must satisfy in order to interact successfully within our environment. This means learning good communication skills, developing intimacy with others and creating a support network of friends and family members who care about us and love us for who we are.

Social wellness includes showing respect for others. By joining a group or organization, you create a sense of belonging in which you can contribute to the group, your community, and to the world. In this way, you are not only respecting others, but you are respecting yourself as well. Loving others and being able to receive love is also characteristic of social wellness. Satisfying our needs for safety and companionship are equally important to achieve social wellness.

Recent studies have indicated the importance of social relationships in one’s life. Feeling alone can have negative effects on your emotional/psychological wellness and it can adversely affect your physical wellness as well.

Friends can serve as a source of encouragement and reinforcement for practicing healthy habits such as proper nutrition and exercise, and abstaining from risky behaviors such as smoking and drinking.

To protect you health and wellness; stay connected to people, form new relationships, and participate in various social activities. UND offers many opportunities for you to get involved.

Tips for optimal social wellness include: