Busy, busy, busy. We all are so busy doing events, work, & activities that we forget to just be in the present with those we care about. Have you ever thought about a family member who lives far away or a friend and thought, I need to call them? Only to forget.
I get it. Work and home life responsibilities bog us down so much that we often put people we care about on the back burner.
But there is a better way. It brings happiness and contentment. It takes intentionality, but the joy is worth it.
Social self-care is synonymous with relational self-care. When we neglect it, we feel alone and isolated. We feel incomplete. When we feel hollow, we try to fill the vacancy with unhealthy habits like "therapy shopping".
Now don't get me wrong, I can shop with the best of them. However, when you shop to fill a void, there is buyer's remorse a day or two later. The thing or objects we bought made us happy for a hot minute, but the emptiness returns.
We may feel left out in our workplace or even in our own families. So, how do we connect? What is social self-care, and how do we establish it?
What is Social Self-Care?
Social self-care is a person's conscious act to connect and be in a community with others. Connection with others is vital to your overall health and wellbeing.
Self-care is essential for building resilience toward stressors in life that you can't eliminate. When you take steps to care for your mind, body, emotions, and relationships, you live your best life.
Unfortunately, many view self-care as a luxury rather than a priority. Consequently, those people feel overwhelmed, tired, and ill-equipped to handle life's inevitable challenges.
It doesn't have to be that way. Find out your needs and follow some simple tips to get you on your way to more energy and less stress. I purposefully plan one or two relational self-care activities a week. I can testify that in doing so, I'm happier. (And more productive.)
“Family and friendships are two of the greatest facilitators of happiness.” –John C. Maxwell
To assess your social self-care, consider:
Are you getting enough face-to-face time with your friends?
What are you doing to nurture your relationships with friends and family?
If you're not sure of your needs, take this self-care assessment. After taking the assessment, you'll know which of the six self-care elements you need most. Social self-care is one of the six. If you need tips or activities for the other five elements, you can find them below at the end of this post.
Relational/Social Self-Care Tips
Stay in contact with important people in your life.
Schedule regular calls with friends and family.
Establish times for virtual groups hangouts.
Find an app game you can play with others. Example: Words with Friends
Connect on social media sites. (Be sure to follow positive accounts.)
Find opportunities to rekindle relationships you haven't made time for lately.
Consider joining a group in your community with like-minded hobbies, interests, or missions.
Share your feelings both positive and negative with others.
Talk & laugh together.
It's a no-brainer. When we tend to our relationships, they'll be more robust. We'll be happier, healthier, and more fulfilled. Quality time that no money can buy replaces the void we once felt. So, busy or not, make your relationships a priority.
I purposefully put family calls, family dinners, and outings with friends on my calendar. I may only see my friends once a month, but we make it happen when it's on the calendar, and we walk away with an extra skip in our step. Nothing fulfills you like a real relationship.
Call someone today. Make that connection and feel your heart swell and the corners of your mouth curve upward to the sky. 😊
This article is part 5 of a 7 part blog series. You can read the others here:
Disclaimer: I'm not a therapist or counselor. I'm just passionate about busting through burnout because I've burned out while teaching & leading. Now, I'm on a mission to prevent others from going through what I went through. I want better for you. 😊🌟😊 I'm cheering for you. YOU make a difference! 💕Pamela
Learn about being STRONG & how to cultivate life-changing relationships with families and students in my new book. I share personal student stories and strategies for cultivating culture and community rooted in relationships. It's centered around amplifying all students' potential and unshakeable relationships that raise student achievement. Click here or the image to go to Amazon. 😃
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