What is social well - being?
We would say that our health can be characterized as multidimensional. Social well-being along with physical and mental well-being contribute to good health. When we feel anxious or nervous in social situations, it can be easy to assume that we are experiencing some kind of social anxiety. This can sometimes cause discomfort as humans are by nature social creatures. We live together in groups, gather in cities and towns with family or friends. In fact, most people spend little time being alone. Wanting to feel connected and be around other people is a natural urge. Our health can be fundamentally affected by the quantity and quality of our support networks and social connections.
So what does social well - being mean and how can we claim it?
Social well-being (or the social dimension of our health) refers to our ability to make and maintain meaningful and positive interpersonal relationships where there is regular contact with others in our environment - family, friends, neighbors and colleagues. Good social well-being includes not only building relationships, but also engaging in appropriate relationships and maintaining acceptable social standards. Our relationship with our family, the basic social unit, affects our lives to the greatest extent possible.
We build our social well-being by interacting with the people around us. These interactions include using good communication skills, building and maintaining meaningful relationships, respecting ourselves and others, and building support systems (with family and friends).
Social well-being is closely linked to social inclusion and a sense of belonging. In our society, a connected individual is a supported individual. Factors of social intelligence - such as our emotional intelligence, moral code, upbringing, adaptability, and altruism - all contribute to the cultivation of social well-being, as do things such as trust, freedom, and equal rights. Social well-being is also influenced by our way of life, our value systems, our beliefs and our traditions.
The importance of relationships
"Man is by nature a social animal." (Aristotle)
Humans are interdependent social creatures - we must love and be loved. We need to belong and feel good when we share our experiences with others. The relationships we cultivate are essential to our health and happiness or, in other words, our well-being.
Social well-being affects our physical health. People with meaningful social relationships and good social relationships tend to be happier, healthier and even live longer than those who do not.
Without awareness, development and maintenance of our social well-being, we run the risk of being socially isolated. This is different from choosing to have some time alone to enjoy loneliness. Social isolation is not really an option. Withdrawal from human relationships becomes a self-reinforcing behavior, as isolation leads to negative feelings of fear and threat that lead to more isolating habits. So surrounding yourself with a positive social network increases your self-esteem. Social well-being enables you to set boundaries that encourage communication, trust and conflict management. Balanced social well-being is therefore very important for building emotional resilience.