Social wellness involves your connections with others and your relationship with yourself. If you can keep your individuality while engaging with the world as part of humanity, you are socially well. This often leads to better care for your community, society, and those around you.
Social wellness involves your connections with others and your relationship with yourself. If you can keep your individuality while engaging with the world as part of humanity, you are socially well. This often leads to better care for your community, society, and those around you.
Social wellness can boost other areas of your well-being. Do you think you're socially well? How can you tell? Here are six signs of social wellness that many people miss.
1 – Assertiveness Without Aggression
Many people find assertiveness challenging. It's the ability to stand up for yourself without fear or shame and without apologizing. Achieving this shows a high level of social wellness.
For some, assertiveness can turn into aggression, as many struggle with the balance. Crossing this line can lead to passive or direct aggression, which is not the same as being assertive.
Traits Of Assertiveness That Reflect Social Wellness:
- You don't feel negative emotions when setting boundaries and expressing needs.
- You maintain positive and comfortable relationships with those around you.
- You understand your rights.
- You freely express your desires, emotions, and thoughts.
- You don't bottle up your thoughts, avoiding resentment and anger.
- When you do feel anger, you control it and express it productively.
- You compromise with others without sacrificing your rights.
- You know how to use both verbal and non-verbal assertiveness.
- You can distinguish between assertiveness, aggression, and passive-aggression.
- You don't feel ashamed for expressing your needs and set healthy boundaries without apologizing.
2 – Respectful Treatment Of Others
Treating others with respect is a significant sign of social wellness. It means you have good relationships with those around you and can be the "bigger person" in conflicts. You don't feel threatened by others and have no desire to bring them down.
Respect is a complex topic. It doesn't mean agreeing with everyone or letting people walk over you. It also doesn't mean compromising with those who have harmful views.
Instead, respecting others means recognizing the rights of all human beings and knowing that everyone deserves those rights.
It also means having positive interactions with others and respecting their boundaries, needs, and communication.
3 – Well-Balanced Social And Personal Time
Everyone needs to balance their "me-time" and the time they spend with others. Even introverts benefit from social interaction and need it in their lives, and even extroverts must take time to recharge on their own.
Studies show that social interaction is crucial to well-being, but personal time is just as important. Further research indicates that having me-time is vital for work and home well-being and can even strengthen relationships.
Many people struggle with loneliness when not with others, but you can be alone without being lonely. Learning to enjoy your own company is an enriching experience, and the ability to take yourself out on dates and sit with yourself is a clear indication of social wellness.
On the flip side, some people struggle to make friends and dislike regular social interaction. Taking it slow and steady by joining online groups, community clubs, local volunteer organizations, and other similar circles can be a great way to incorporate more social experiences in life.
Once you have balanced personal and social time, you have one aspect of social wellness. To take it a step further, you must have good social times with strong circles of uplifting, genuine people you like. After all, your social wellness depends on the people you're social with.
4 – An Ability To Be Oneself
It may surprise you, but many signs of social wellness lie in yourself. When you connect with others, you want to be authentic if you aim to be socially well. It sounds simple, but it's something many people struggle with. The ability to ultimately be yourself is a powerful and valuable trait.
When you're socially well, you can be entirely who you are when introducing yourself to others and hanging out with friends or family. This state means that you:
- Are comfortable in your skin
- Feel valued and appreciated just as you are
- Are relaxed around your friends and family
- Feel like you belong in the spaces you're in
- Can step outside your comfort zone without compromising your identity
- Are secure about yourself and don't compare yourself to others or bring others down
- Love and accept yourself, even while acknowledging things you'd like to improve
- Have healthy self-esteem and don't rely on others for validation
5 – Participation In Community and Having Fun Doing It
Social wellness isn't just about your close friends and family. It's also about having plenty of acquaintances with whom you have positive or neutral relationships and can confidently interact. For many who struggle with social confidence, this seems like an impossible concept, but human beings are naturally social creatures. We thrive on human-to-human connection, and those moments are ones to be grateful for!
Sometimes it can be challenging to participate in a community, even if it's one you've grown up around or spent many years being technically a part of.
You can boost your community involvement in these ways:
- Spend a few minutes chatting with neighbors
- Join local clubs and groups that interest you
- Start conversations with people you see often
- Explore new communities and make friends outside your usual circle
- Volunteer for organizations you support
- Attend community events
- Play a community sport
- Find mentors in your field
Additionally, a key part of social wellness is having fun in social settings. There's no point in being around others if you're always anxious, uncomfortable, or unhappy. Enjoying yourself boosts your overall happiness and helps form positive connections, making social interactions more enjoyable.
This doesn't mean you can't be socially well if you have social anxiety. However, being at ease, letting loose, and having fun is essential when spending time with people you like. If social interactions make it impossible for you to have fun, you might need to work on your journey to social wellness.
6 – Good Communication Skills And Better Relationships
The foundation of social wellness is good communication. Without it, conflicts arise, and relationships can fall apart. No one can read minds, so if something needs to be said, it must be spoken out loud!
But communication is more than just talking about your thoughts. It's about doing so productively and positively. This helps resolve conflicts and strengthens relationships. This involves:
- Using non-blaming language when addressing issues, allowing for open discussion
- Having excellent listening skills and aiming to understand others instead of just preparing a response
- Expressing your thoughts and feelings without shame
- Letting go of avoidant behaviors and addressing conflicts directly, reducing resentment
- Being constructive and firm without being harsh or unfair when calling out negative behavior
- Knowing when to take a break and try again during complex conflicts or communication
- Feeling comfortable expressing your needs and discussing what you want without disclaimers or apologies
Good communication skills also help you open up to the most trustworthy people in your life. You're not overly generous with who sees you at your most vulnerable, but you're also not unnecessarily closed-off. This means you form genuine and close relationships with a select few who have earned your trust and feel the same about you.
These skills also allow you to learn from those around you. You always listen and are curious about what others have to share.
If you leave most conversations a bit wiser and feel happy about it, then you have a high level of social wellness!
Final Thoughts On Some Signs Of Social Wellness Most People Overlook
Social wellness is a key part of living a healthy and happy life. If you find that you exhibit many of these signs of social wellness, congratulations! You have a healthy social life and a good balance of prioritizing and loving yourself while caring about others. You have a strong support system, a good circle of close friends, and positive interactions with your community.
Do you feel you're not socially well? The good news is that you can improve your social wellness by enhancing your social skills and working on your self-confidence and self-esteem. If you need some help, don't hesitate to reach out to a mental health professional, especially one who specializes in socialization and social anxiety.
Remember, social wellness is a journey, and it's okay to seek help along the way. By focusing on these aspects, you can build a more fulfilling and socially healthy life.