How is Social Connection linked to Wellbeing?
As human beings, our lives are encompassed by our social connections. This social spectrum ranges from people we consider close and share our deepest secrets with to acquaintances we come across in our daily lives. Our inner circle consists of individuals we can rely on for emotional and tangible support such as our family, partner or friends. We need to be in touch with people for our professional lives such as our colleagues and supervisors. Humans are social beings and our lives depend on social cooperation in some form or another to keep functioning. This much has been established without a doubt.
But how does having these social connections actually help us? Here are 8 ways how a strong support system can help you:
Social connections help meet our emotional needs. Our relationships form the cornerstone of emotionally fulfilling lives. Having people to share things with and rely on and care for and be taken care of is one of the fundamental needs of being human.
Social connections help shape our identity. The company we keep really does matter. Our social connections help us to form an identity as an individual as well as assume the various roles we play in society.
Social connections boost our mental health. People who don’t have much social support are more likely to suffer from mental health disorders than people who do. Having close relationships is associated with higher levels of subjective wellbeing, increased level of self-confidence and security and lower stress levels.
Social connections help us battle diseases. Genes associated with higher levels of connectedness have shown to aid in faster recovery from diseases, make our immune systems stronger, improve overall physical health and increase our chances of living longer.
Social connections act as a protective factor against suicide. People having social support are less likely to feel lonely or misunderstood. Having a strong support system can play a crucial role in protecting a person from self-harming and suicidal tendencies.
Social connections improve feelings of self-worth. People having strong social ties are perceived to be more confident, competent and self-assured. This in turn increases an individual’s sense of self-efficacy or belief in themselves.
Social connections improve resilience. Giving and receiving support from connections enhances our ability to bounce back after stressful situations. Social connections improve how people cope during adversity.
Social connections can add meaning and purpose to life. Meaningful relationships help in satisfying higher-level needs such as growth and development. Social connectedness helps us dedicate ourselves to a worthwhile cause, not to mention being a worthy goal in itself.
Social connectedness makes us feel like we belong, a strong and basic need. Success isn’t as meaningful if there aren’t people that you can share it with. Suffering is lessened when there are people who can empathize with you. Everything is much more fulfilling when there is an exchange of ideas and experiences between people who can understand, communicate and express themselves to each other. Our relationships make living worthwhile.
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Author: Debanjali Saha
Debanjali Saha is a counselling psychologist who works primarily with young adults using a compassion-focused approach in therapy. She is very passionate about Self-Compassion, a topic she has been researching since 2014. She has started a wellness community called Couch of Compassion, where she tries to help people relate to themselves with kindness through her writing and workshops.
