Social health, what is it and its benefits?

You need to eat nutritious food and be physically active to maintain a healthy body. In order to maintain mental health, you can undergo stress management counseling or therapy. Apart from mental and physical health, it turns out that there is one more element that is rarely mentioned, namely social health.

Social relationships have been shown to strengthen immune function, maintain heart health, and promote feelings of happiness, thereby reducing the risk of depression. In other words, social health is closely related to mental and physical health. So, what is meant by social health and how can you improve it?

What is social health?

If physical health is about the body, and mental health is about the mind, then social health is about social relationships. More specifically, social health is a picture of your relationships with other people, the environment, and the community.

According to Corey Keyes, a sociologist and expert in the field of positive psychology, there are three important elements in a person's social health, namely:

1. It is subjective and personal based on how you view relationships with friends, family, or other people.
2. The most important thing is quality, not quantity. This means that you can still feel socially healthy even if you have few close friends.
3. Social relations are not only seen between two people, but also involve a wider environment such as coworkers, school friends, or neighbors.

You can be said to have good social health if you are able to make connections with other people. Apart from that, you can adapt to different social situations and behave accordingly.

Social relations are a unique thing. Everyone has different social relationships, so the way to determine their quality is different. However, the following questions can help you see the quality of your current social relationships:

• Have I recently felt more connected to other people or have I felt lonely?
• Is there anyone I can contact when I need support?
• What kind of relationship do I value most?
• What kinds of interactions excite me and what make me feel tired?
• Is there a community that is important to me? If so, what kind of community?

The importance of social health

Social relationships have a positive effect on mental and physical health. Even for introverted people, interacting with other people can lead to feelings of happiness and caring.

In addition, several studies have also found the following benefits:

• People who have lots of friends tend to live longer.
• The heart and circulation of people who have healthy relationships are better able to cope with stress.
• Healthy social relationships improve immune system function so that the body is better protected from infection.
• Strong social relationships are linked to a healthy hormonal and circulatory system.

Conversely, people who are often isolated and selfish are more at risk of experiencing stress and depression. Solitude also exposes you to the same health risks as smoking, obesity, and high blood pressure.

Social health is certainly not the only factor that causes this line of diseases. However, social relationships play an important role in stress management and are necessary for maintaining your mental well-being.

How to improve the quality of social relationships

Social relations are things that are formed slowly. The process is time consuming and sometimes not easy. Even people who seem easy to get along with and enjoy chatting with may face this difficulty.

The good news is, there are a few tips you can do to improve the quality of your social relationships below.

1. Forge new social relationships

If you feel like you are in a tight social environment, try making new friends as an adult through hobbies, joining a community, or traveling. From here, you can find new friends with the same interests.

Apart from these activities, you can also try academic activities such as debates or discussions. There are also people who enjoy doing outdoor activities or volunteering for the community. Choose something that makes you happy.

2. Build good relationships

While making new friends, don't forget to interact with your old friends. Every now and then, try to confide in them, offer to help, or listen to their complaints. Or, just try to meet and chat with them.

Differences of opinion are normal in social health, but as much as possible try to avoid conflicts that provoke anger. Different points of view can strengthen relationships as long as you respect each other's opinions.

3. Doing activities together

This is one of the best ways to build social relationships. Try eating with your family, watching movies with friends, or cooking with your partner. Involve the people closest to you so they get to know each other.

Apart from entertainment activities, social relationships can also be strengthened with a routine at home. Divide the chores of cleaning the house, washing clothes, and so on with the people in the house so that everyone has a role in this routine.

Just like eating nutritious food, doing physical activity, and managing stress, social interactions also play an important role for health. While putting the quality of your relationships first, don't forget to add to the quantity by getting to know new people.