What Is Social Wellbeing and why is it important?

Wellbeing is composed of multiple components. It may relate to a person’s physical wellbeing, if they are doing enough regular exercise, if they are maintaining a balanced diet or getting enough sleep. It will encompass a person’s mental wellbeing, if they are able to effectively manage their mental health, overcome negative thoughts and feelings or conditions such as anxiety and depression. But there is one aspect that could arguably be tied into both. That aspect is social wellbeing.

Social Wellbeing – What is it?

Social Wellbeing is dependent on a person’s relationships with others. This does not necessarily mean having an endless network of friends and family that you are constantly in contact with. It more relates to the strength and value of your relationship with others. Feeling comfortable, valued and free to express yourself in a safe space amongst your peers is invaluable to a person’s wellbeing. When an individual feels connected to those around them, they can develop their communication skills, feel there is a support network and better discuss their feelings when they are struggling.
The people you are closest with will be able to identify when you are struggling and aren’t yourself and vice versa. Even the looser, more casual connections can help with your overall wellbeing. Having friendships in the workplace enable for greater communication, understanding of your colleague’s workstyle and can make the workplace a more pleasant and enjoyable environment to be a part of.

Social vs mental wellbeing – What’s the difference?

There is a strong relationship between social and mental wellbeing. Neither can truly thrive without the other. Having the option to discuss your mental wellbeing and the struggles you are facing is often enough to relieve some of the pressures associated with poor mental health. The World Health Organisation states that: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. Through well-maintained social wellbeing, mental wellbeing becomes easier to manage. By avoiding isolation, we develop greater social skills, understanding of ourselves and others. We can also become more aware of the telltale signs of declining mental health.

Whilst general mental wellbeing can be practiced in solitude through things like meditation, journalling or simple thought exercises, social wellbeing is entirely dependent on social interactions with others. Mental wellbeing is tied to a person’s self; social wellbeing is more based on participating with your peers as an active member of a community and feeling value in this shared connection. This connection may be based on a group of friends, family, local community or workplace colleagues.

Why is social wellbeing important?

Humans are inherently social beings. It is why forms of communication are ever evolving and why there is such a focus on teamwork in workplaces. When humans fail to interact with those around them, they become less understanding of issues that may affect them and less aware of how their actions may create a negative environment. As individual as we may feel in certain instances, nobody can maintain a positive sense of self and mental wellbeing in isolation. Our home and work lives are part of a shared ecosystem, and they can be extremely fragile. This is especially true in the workplace.

With the rise of hybrid and remote working, isolated working methods have become more common and accepted. However, this does allow for self-doubt and internalised negativity to fester, which not only impacts a person’s perception of their workplace and organisation, but it could also lead them to spread this negative sentiment amongst others.

Signs of being socially healthy

Being socially healthy involves striking a balance between individuality and social interactivity, without being antagonistic to those around you. It means that you are able to sustain your relationships with others without sacrificing your mental wellbeing. Here are just a few of the basic indicators of good social health:

Effectively managing anger

Anger and aggression are incredibly strong emotions, but more often than not will manifest themselves in a negative manner. This is especially true when a person is interacting with someone they are close with. Whilst a level of assertiveness is good and can be useful in a social setting, too much assertiveness can come across negatively, aggressive and can poorly impact communication. When communication breaks down, it harms relationships between people and in turn social wellbeing. Managing methods of communication and avoiding aggression will lead to clearer messaging and will make for healthier relationships.

Respecting others

Relationships can only grow and develop when there is a sense of mutual respect between people. Being able to show a level of respect, care and space to the people around you demonstrates that a person understands the importance of communication, beliefs and can comfortably engage with others. When a differing opinion to your own arises and you can calmly appreciate it and engage with it without anger, it will not only benefit your social skills and wellbeing, but also your mental wellbeing by not further engaging negative emotions.

Balanced social and personal time

Whilst it is important to engage with your peers in a social setting, it is easy to become burnt out as your social battery drains. When you fail to take time for yourself, you fail to be the best person you can be. In a similar sense to a healthy work-life balance, if you overly dedicated yourself to one aspect, it will ultimately harm both as you become drained and irritable. When you can focus on yourself, you can reflect on your communication skills and re-energise yourself to ensure you are at your maximum capacity in a social setting.

Good vs poor social health – What does this look like?

It is important for everyone to focus on themselves. This affords the space, understanding and mental wellbeing to be better, empathise and assist others. However, when a person becomes too isolated and separated from others and is reluctant to be involved in a social setting, their communication skills can falter.

Good social health

People who maintain a positive sense of social wellbeing are easily identifiable as they are positive, approachable and comfortable amongst their peers. This may be in a social setting, amongst colleagues or even amongst strangers. Those who are well-versed in social connections and maintain their social health can engage in friendly conversation, empathise with and communicate with others even in difficult circumstances. Due to their positive levels of social wellbeing and greater understanding of those around them, they are better able to regulate their emotions and prevent negative emotions and moods from taking hold.

Poor social health

When a person is not maintaining their social wellbeing, it will have a noticeable ripple effect on other key aspects of their lives. Government research suggests that there are clear links between loneliness and poor mental health. The lack of positive social wellbeing can lead to chronic stress which can impact a person’s sleep and thus leading to further mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. Even if a person does engage in social situations, but does so infrequently and reluctantly, their communication skills can be negatively impacted, once again leading to mental health conditions that may cause a decline in their quality of life. When a person is isolating themselves, reluctant to engage in social events and situations and keeping thoughts to themselves, their social health will take a hit and this may only intensify as feelings of anxiety and depression begin to take hold, creating a vicious cycle that may need professional guidance to overcome.

What are the benefits of social wellbeing?

Failure to consider social wellbeing and the impact it may have on one's life can lead to an overall decline in a person’s capability to carry out their responsibilities or connect to the people closest to them. The benefits of maintaining a positive sense of social wellbeing are numerous. Some of these benefits include:

Improved communications skills

Regular interactions with provides a greater understanding of others, how they communicate their thoughts and feelings and how you can empathise, provide solutions and respond, whether that be in a social or professional setting.

Greater sense of perspective

When social wellbeing is maintained, on an individual level, a person can gain a greater understanding of their feelings and circumstances through discussion and learning that they aren’t alone in their struggles or with certain concerns.

Sense of self

Interacting with others is not only beneficial to creating a sense of community and belonging, but also allows for us to better understand ourselves, improve our self-worth and understand what may define us as people and what we enjoy or are drawn to personality wise.

How do you set social wellbeing goals?

Establishing social wellbeing goals is about understanding what is achievable as an individual, whilst also extending your capability. This principle is applied to physical wellbeing by setting further distances, trying to beat personal best times and lifting heavier weights. Social wellbeing goals may be more aimed at strengthening current relationships, creating new connections or improving your overall communication skills.

Like any other goals, establishing overarching and continuous goals can keep you motivated to continue, but to achieve it, there is a need for smaller, more digestible and achievable goals. Therefore, when setting social wellbeing goals, it is best to understand what you as an individual are working towards. Here are a few things you can consider when setting your goals:

• To feel more connected to the world and those around you

• To improve how you communicate with others

• To remain inspired and committed to other goals through social connections

Whatever the grander goal may be, once you have established it, you can begin to consider the short to medium term goals that will guide you towards your long-term goals. Some of these tasks and goals might be something as simple as:

• Regular phone calls with loved ones

• Conversate with your work colleagues regularly

• Host parties for friends and family, etc.

These goals may seem trivial at first but can help inform the path towards the long-term goals and grander ambitions of deepening existing relationships and improving your social wellbeing.

Tips for increasing social wellbeing

Individual social wellbeing is entirely dependent on the person. Every person will interact with the world and those around them differently. For example, a neurodivergent individual may experience the world and social interactions entirely differently to a neurotypical individual, therefore how they maintain and increase their social wellbeing will differ. Despite this, there are a host of options on how a person can develop their social wellbeing.

Social gatherings

Whilst not for everyone, organising and attending social gatherings among friends regularly is a simple and effective method for boosting social wellbeing. It does not have to be a large crowd, just with those you feel secure socialising within an environment you feel comfortable and free in.

*Taking communal classes *

For some people, they connect best with those they share similar interests and passions with. Taking communal classes not only stimulates a person’s mental wellbeing, but by interacting with those who understand their interests, they can establish a deeper connection without fear of judgement.

Celebrating cultures and traditions

Culture and heritage are historical and can celebrate the best of a community. Therefore, when a person engages and celebrates cultures, whether it is their own or another community different to their own, they can feel a part of something larger and feel the acceptance of others.

Consistent random acts of kindness

Dedicating yourself to consistent random acts of kindness may seem daunting, but the connection a person can build from a genuine and kind-hearted reaction can be overwhelming and natural. One simple act a day can hugely improve a person’s social wellbeing as well as their mental.

Deepening established relationships

When aiming to improve social wellbeing, people often get too caught up on creating new connections or focusing on weaker social connections. Sometimes, the best thing a person can do to improve their social wellbeing is to focus on those closest to them, deepening and strengthening the relationship.

How can an Employee Assistance Programme help with social wellbeing?

It can be difficult to overcome anxieties and focus on social wellbeing. This is especially true when a person’s mental wellbeing is lagging. Using an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), individuals can access expert counselling 24/7, 365 days a year for guidance, advice and support to overcome their mental wellbeing struggles and enable them to focus on their social wellbeing. As well as this, using HA | Wisdom Wellbeing’s EAP, individuals will have access to the Wisdom app, complete with a host of resources such as podcasts where people speak to mental wellbeing experts about overcoming specific struggles, including how to interact in social situations.

Conclusion

Social wellbeing is inherently tied to mental wellbeing and vice versa. Both are interconnected and directly impact the quality of the other. Whilst it may not seem as valuable to focus on social wellbeing as it is considered less of an individual focus, if it is ignored, it will ultimately be detrimental to a person’s overall wellbeing. Deepening connections with those closest and establishing social wellbeing practices will ensure greater communication skills and provides an unmatched, trusted support network from those you value the most.