Self Care Bee

Essential Mental Self Care Practices for a Sharp Mind

Taking care of our mental health is just as crucial as healthy eating and exercising, but it’s often overlooked in our busy lives. Mental self care is about intentional practices that nurture our psychological health and emotional balance.

With rising global stress levels and increasing awareness about mental health, it’s more important than ever to understand how to effectively care for your mind.

Let’s explore practical, evidence-based strategies that can transform your mental well-being and help you thrive in all areas of life.

What Is Mental Self Care

Mental self care is about adopting habits that promote and maintain mental health. There is a strong connection between self care and mental health. Regular mental self care practices help improve self esteem, self worth, and reduce feelings of anxiety and depression. This leads to better decision making and better life choices. Basically. it is a commitment to your mental health.â

Despite what some people may think, mental self care is not selfish. Setting boundaries is not meant to push people away or disrespect their needs. Rather, it’s a way of respecting your own needs and limits. Besides, you can reinforce boundaries in a respectful way, by communicating why this matters to you and by encouraging the other to do the same.

Mental self care is not time-consuming either. Although it may seem like an inconvenience to set time aside for a therapy session in the moment, it might cost you more in the long run. Every minute you spend on mental self care in the present is an investment in your mental well-being in the future. It prevents anxiety, depression or burnout – so I’d say it’s worth it.

Signs You Need More Mental Self Care

It’s good practice to look after your mental hygiene on a regular basis. But if you are at risk of mental exhaustion and burnout, this is paramount.

Here are a few signs you need to focus on your mental health right now:

you are easily irritated, often by things other people barely notice
you have lost your excitement for hobbies or interests that used to energise you
you lost motivation to achieve your goals, or you abandoned your goals altogether
you eat too much or too little
you aren’t looking after your physical health, skipping or missing doctor’s appointments and regular check-ups
you lack self confidence
you are overly cynical
you avoid social interaction
you are unable to focus

All these signs show you are close to burning out and you need more mental self care in your life. Start small, especially if you are feeling exhausted. You are not going to be able to sustain a demanding routine and you will feel discouraged immediately.

Try instead to introduce small habits that take less than 15 minutes.

Daily Mental Self Care Practices

So how can you care for your mental well-being on a day-to-day basis? Let’s have a look at a few practices you can start incorporating in your daily routine right now!

Mindfulness Meditation

This is the easiest step you can take in your mental self care journey, because I’s so handy. There is no shortage of apps and videos online for guided meditation. You don’t have to learn anything, just press play and follow the instructions.

Research has shown that a regular mindfulness meditation practice is highly effective in reducing stress, anxiety and depression. Some studies have shown that mindfulness can help with physical symptoms as well, for example by reducing pain and fatigue.

Journaling

Journaling is also a great tool to have in your arsenal when working on your mental well-being. In fact, many therapists use journaling with their clients and patients.

Here are a few prompts you can use in your daily journaling practice to support your mental health:

1. What were you doing the last time you felt happy? What could you do to replicate that?

2. Write a letter to yourself, focusing on kindness, understanding and forgiveness.

3. What boundaries could you set in your relationships to make you feel more safe or relaxed?

4. What pain or uncomfortable feeling are you trying to avoid at the moment?

5. Are there any recurrent thoughts or emotions that are not serving you? What are they? How did they make your way into your daily life, and what can you do to release them?

Gratitude Practice

Practising gratitude on a regular basis helps you re-focus your mind on the positive aspects of your life. Because no matter how bad things get, it’s never all doom and gloom. Rather, it’s our exhausted minds telling us that.

Try gratitude journaling to re-frame the narrative and remind yourself of the blessings you still have in your life. Here are a hew prompts you can use every day:

1. List 3 people hose presence makes your life better, safer, happier.

2. What do you value most in your relationship with your partner?

3. What do you value most in your friendships?

4. What do you value most in your relationship with your family?

5. List 3 small moments of joy you experienced today.

Digital detox

Unfortunately, the screens aren’t our friends. It’s been well documented now, and I think we all agree, that excessive use of technology is ruining our mental health. Social media usage has a great impact on our self esteem and self worth, our attention span and our ability to form meaningful and rewarding connections with other people.

So reducing your exposure to screens seems like the next logical step.

Take time every day to unplug.
Be conscious of your screen usage and set limits for your most tempting apps.
Create an evening routine that doesn’t include screen-time. Focus on reading, meditation, journaling or talking to your partner instead.

Here are a few more ideas on how to create a digital detox routine for yourself and stick to it.

Digital Detox Routine: Simple Steps to Reclaim Your Time and Focus

Boundaries

Set boundaries with your friends and loved ones, but also in your professional life. If there are behaviours that are hurting you, communicate it.

Let them know that certain words or behaviours are not accepted anymore, and explain what effect they have on you. This way, they can understand your motivation and your new boundaries don’t seem like they came out of nowhere.

And if you feel uncomfortable about having these conversation, think about how much more uncomfortable you will feel when this behaviour repeats itself again and again. Learn to view boundary setting as a practice of self respect.

The Connection Between Physical Health and Mental Self Care

While you are implementing new practices to care for your mental well-being, please don’t forget about physical health. Your mind lives in your body, it is a part of it. The state your body is in affects your mental state.

Nutrition impacts your mental health. 95% of your serotonin is produced in the gut. Its function, as well as the function of your neurons, is influenced by the bacteria in your gut. So you want to make sure what you eat is nutritious, rich in fiber and non-inflammatory.

On top of that, physical exercise has been proven to reduce anxiety and depression symptoms, in many cases being as effective as medication. Shorter, high intensity exercise programs produced the greatest effect. Which is good news for those of us who always feel like we’re running out of time in our schedules.

Physical activity releases endorphins (the feel-good hormone), boost self confidence and improves sleep quality. So get your workout equipment ready, and book time in your day for this self care practice!

Professional Support for Mental Health

Last but not least, please don’t hesitate to seek professional help.

There is no shame in asking for help when you need it. Nor is there any shame in preventing that moment form happening. A regular therapy practice is a great way to care for your mental hygiene, guided by a qualified professional.

Conclusion

Incorporating mental self care practices into your daily routine isn’t just a luxury, it’s essential for maintaining optimal well-being in our demanding world. Start implementing the strategies we’ve discussed, and you will build remarkable resilience against life’s challenges.

Remember that mental self care is personal. Experiment with different approaches to discover what works best for you. Start with just one practice today, and notice how even small changes can lead to significant improvements in your overall quality of life and mental well-being.

7 Powerful Social Self Care Goals to Transform Your Relationships

We often focus on physical and mental self care, but social self care deserves just as much attention. Did you know that strong social connections can increase your lifespan by up to 50%?

Social self care involves nurturing the relationships that matter most to you whilst also setting appropriate boundaries. It’s about finding that perfect balance between connection and solitude. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore seven transformative social self care goals that can enhance your relationships and overall well-being!

Why You Need Social Self Care Goals

We constantly set ourselves goals for our professional life, for our physical well-being etc. But we keep overlooking a key aspect when it comes to well-being: the fact that our social life is directly responsible for both our mental and physical health. Countless studies have shown that loneliness is responsible for earlier onset of debilitating illness (such as dementia), and even death. So why not consider social self care goals as well?

It’s absolutely paramount we start treating our social live with the seriousness it deserves. Just like we make time to go to the gym, we should make time to nurture our relationships, because they are just as important.

It is true that our lives are now busier than ever. We have so many responsibilities in a regular work day, that it feels impossible to add yet another task on top. There simply isn’t enough time in the day, right?

Well, having a strong social circle is so important for our health, that we should make time. It’s time for a life audit, and start re-shuffling some of those responsibilities. We also have daily habits that are wasting precious time, while giving us an illusion of disconnect or relaxation.

I am, of course, talking about social media. The average person spends over 7 hours a day staring at screens. Don’t tell me that all that time is productive. Anyone with a smartphone and a social media account knows what it’s like to get sucked into that black hole of doomscrolling.

Here are a few ideas to help you start a simple detox routine right now:

Digital Detox Routine: Simple Steps to Reclaim Your Time and Focus

Now what do I mean by investing more time in social self care? Does this mean you should have some kind of social activity every day of the week? Well, if that’s something you enjoy and it works for you, sure!

But what I am proposing is increasing your social interaction compared to what you are currently doing. Because if you clicked on this article, chances are you suspect it’s not enough. Your need for social interaction will depend on your personality. If you are an introvert, you will need less social interaction than an extroverted person.

The goal is to create fulfilling and sustainable relationships. So let’s have a look at seven simple social self care goals that you can set for yourself, and you can start working on today!

Goal 1: Cultivate Deeper Connections with Existing Friends

The easiest way to begin your social self care journey is with the connections you already have. Deepen those friendships! Don’t be afraid to reach out to old friends, that you may have lost contact with. People are usually happy when someone reaches out. Maybe they thought about you too, but were too busy to check in, just like you.

Your surface friendships can be turned into meaningful connections as well. One way to do that is by investing more time into the relationship. We get closer and we trust each other by knowing each other better, and in various situations. So it makes sense that more exposure can bring about more opportunities to connect.

Another way to deepen your connections is by being more vulnerable with your friends. We trust more when we see that the person next to us is just as human as we are. Nobody wants a perfect friend. People who come across as perfect are intimidating. We crave connection with people who have the same problems, the same struggles as us.

So be the first to break the ice with your friends. Ask for advise, share your honest thoughts, and build that bridge.

Goal 2: Intentionally Expand Your Social Circle

If you’re anything like me, your social circle has probably shrunk during your adult years. When we have a full time job, we have more responsibilities and less time to nurture those connections. So it’s inevitable that some of the relationships we used to have might slip though the cracks. It’s easy to get lost in your day-to-day and neglect your social life.

But that doesn’t mean things should stay this way. You can get new friends and expand your social circle again. Don’t know where to start? Here are a few ideas of places and activities where you can meet new people:

Join a club to find like-minded people. If you like reading, join a book club. If you play an instrument, you can join a band. Look for groups that centre their activity around a common interest. This way, you already have a something in common and it’s easier to break the ice.
Volunteer. Find a group or organisation in your area that is fighting for a cause you care about.
Use apps that are designed to bring like-minded people together, like meetup.
Talk to your neighbours. Do them a favour or invite them over for tea. Get to know your immediate community.
Don’t be afraid of age gaps. You can be friends with people who are younger or older than you. In fact, inter-generational friendships are great fr giving you perspective.
Use social media. If you have digital friends, consider inviting them to meet in real life. If you clicked online, you will definitely have something to talk about in the real world as well.

Goal 3: Implement Digital Boundaries for Healthier Relationships

Whatever you do, don’t limit your social interactions to social media. That’s not real life, and your overall well-being will not benefit from these interactions.

Online communication only gives you the illusion of socialising, but it has none of the benefits. This is why I suggested to take your online friendships to the real world. Face-to-face interaction helps release those feel-good neurochemicals like oxytocin, dopamine and serotonin.

Goal 4: Practice Regular Social Rejuvenation

Identify those social activities that truly energise you and focus on them. Learn the difference between fulfilling and draining social interactions. Not every social activity is helpful, and you need to do what works for you.

If you don’t feel great at parties and you always find yourself thinking you’d rather be home, it’s ok to avoid parties. That’s not your thing. Find those activities that make you feel good. If you feel excited and energised after a social engagement, that’s for you. Pay more attention to your sensations during and after a social activity to get to know yourself.

You also want to make sure you create a realistic and balanced social calendar. You don’t want to burn yourself out by trying to tick as many social engagements as possible. There is no badge of honour for attending the most social events.

In fact, studies have shown that the quantity of relationships is not helpful in your quest for overall well-being. What matters is the quality.

Your social life should be rewarding, not draining you.

Here’s a guide on how you can focus on nurturing your relationships, while taking care of you:

Essential Social Self Care Tips: Nurturing Relationships Whilst Taking Care of You

Goal 5: Nurture Your Most Important Relationships

While you are focusing on expanding your social circle and making new friends, don’t neglect the most important relationships in your life: your family, your partner or spouse, your closest friends. It’s easy to overlook those relationships that seem to always be there regardless. Your loved ones may stick with you through a lot, but you don’t want to neglect or disappoint them.

Create meaningful social self care rituals and traditions with your loved ones, to make sure they are always a priority. Stay consistent in those rituals and don’t let anything get in the way. If Friday night is movie night with the family, then it’s movie night with the family. It’s blocked in your calendar, and any proposals can be re-assigned to a different day and time.

Always make sure you maintain the relationships you value. They need to be consistently nurtured, otherwise they will degrade. You want to make sure you invest in these relationships during stable periods of your life, when you have the time and energy to do so. This way, your loved ones will be a strong support system for you in your time of need.

In turn, you should always prioritise supporting your partners and family members through major life events and transitions. Community is about mutual respect and reciprocity.

Goal 6: Let Go of Draining Relationships

As I mentioned earier, it’s the quality – not the quantity of relationships that counts. If you have a friend that drains the energy out of you on a regular basis, that is not a healthy or nurturing relationships. You have to learn to let go of these connections which are counterproductive in your wellness journey.

If your friendship is not based on trust, reciprocity, honesty and respect, it’s time to re-evaluate. Here’s a list of qualities that can be found in toxic and, respectively, in healthy relationships:

Trust is healthy in a friendship; manipulation is not

Open communication is healthy; gossip is not

Reciprocity is healthy; one-sided-ness is not

A sense of security within your relationship is healthy; fear of reprisal is not

Boundaries are healthy; self-serving behaviour is not

Disagreement is healthy; fights are not

Respect is healthy; disrespect is not

Support is healthy; undermining or ignoring the other person is not

Honest feedback is healthy; sycophantic behaviour is not

Accountability is healthy; dismissive excuses are not

Constructive criticism is healthy; mockery is not

Don’t hesitate to distance yourself from relationships that consistently undermine your well-being. You can have an honest conversation, where you respectfully and calmly express your intention to “break up” with this person. This is a very delicate situation, since people are easily triggered by situations where they feel rejected.

So make sure your tone is calm and patient, and your words respectful. Don’t use accusatory language, like “you always do this”, “your behaviour annoys me” etc. Instead, talk about how certain behaviours make you feel, while always trying to see the situation from your friend’s perspective as well.

In case this is too much and you don’t see yourself having this kind of conversation, that’s fine. You can always distance yourself from negative connections gradually. Over time, taper off your encounters, and the relationship will naturally cool off.

Goal 7: Embrace Vulnerability and Authenticity

Last but not least, remember that one of the most important social self care goals you can adopt is embracing vulnerability and authenticity in your relationships. No matter how many friends you have, they will always be superficial friends if you can’t (or won’t) be yourself around them.

Friends are supposed to be your support system, so you shouldn’t be afraid of being judged or mocked. And I can assure you – your real friends will not be judgemental. They are in your life because they want to. And they want to support you, just like you are supportive of them.

Remember that real connection cannot happen if either of you is playing a role. Learn to be comfortable with your own imperfection, just as you are comfortable with other people’s imperfections as well.

If you are not used to being authentic for fear of being judged, start with small steps. Start with your closest friend, and ask for their feedback. Talk about your insecurity and where you think it might come from. When you gain more confidence, extend the self-disclosure to other friends to deepen connection.

And of course – always be a safe friend for others to be vulnerable with you!

Conclusion

Implementing social self care goals isn’t just about improving your relationships—it’s about enhancing your overall quality of life. By nurturing important connections and letting go of draining relationships, you’re creating space for truly fulfilling social interactions.

Remember that social self care looks different for everyone, and it’s perfectly acceptable to adjust these goals to suit your unique circumstances and needs. Start with just one or two social self care goals from his list and notice how even small changes can transform your social well-being. Your future self will thank you for the meaningful connections you’re cultivating today!

Essential Social Self Care Practices: Nurturing Relationships for Better Well-being

Did you know that people with strong social connections have better physical and mental health than those with weaker social ties? The chances of living longer are increased by 50% if you have a strong social circle. And in our increasingly digital world, taking care of our social well-being has never been more crucial.

I’ve found that social self care goes far beyond casual meetups – it’s about cultivating meaningful connections that nourish our souls and support our mental health. Let’s explore the essential social self care practices that can help you build and maintain healthy relationships while taking care of your own needs!

Understanding Social Self Care and Its Impact on Well-being

Social self care means looking after your social life in the same way you are looking after your body or mental health. Going to the gym and eating healthy has been normalised in our society, and we all agree it’s a good practice to have. We are also starting to talk more and more about the importance of mental and physical self care, and how it needs to be integrated into our daily lives.

But another aspect of our mental and physical health – which should not be overlooked – is looking after our social life. Human connection is an essential ingredient of a healthy life. Our body chemistry is influenced by our interactions with others: touching, hugging and positive social interactions release neurochemicals like oxytocin, dopamine and serotonin. These are responsible for

reducing anxiety
regulating mood and
promoting happiness.

Social self care is important for your well-being. Having a strong social circle to rely on helps you deal better with stress, prevents overwhelm and burnout. You are more resilient, and better equipped to overcome challenges in your life when you have the safety net of a strong and reliable group of friends and family.

Notice I said strong, not large. Because the quality of the relationships has been proven to be more important than quantity. In fact, whether you have a large group of superficial friend or no friends at all, makes no difference. The benefits of socialising come from meaningful relationships.

Core Social Self Care Practices for Everyday Life

But how do you know if your relationships are meaningful or not? How do you identify and nurture deep connections? Here are a few attributes to look for in your relationships:

Reciprocity – reaching out, connecting and sharing should come both ways. If only one person is making an effort, this is not a strong or authentic relationship.
Openness – you have to be able to be yourself in a relationship. If you feel that you need to hide certain aspects of yourself just to be accepted, or if the other person is doing this, the relationship is shallow.
Mutual trust – seems obvious, but you need to be able to be vulnerable with your friends and loved ones. You need to know you can rely on them during hard times, and that your weaknesses will not be used against you.
Mutual support – real friends support each other. This life is difficult already as it is. You need your friends and loved ones to be on your side. If you feel they are always putting you down or criticising without giving constructive advice, you are in a toxic relationship.
Honesty – a friend should be able to tell you the truth, even if it’s uncomfortable. This is how we grow. We are imperfect, a constant work in progress. Your loved ones should be part of this journey, and you should be part of theirs.

How do you nurture and strengthen your relationships? Here are a few ideas of social self care practices that you can start implementing right now.

Maintain regular social connections

Relationships can’t survive if they are not nurtured. Friendship is sustained by regular contact, especially in the initial phases. Without it, people drift apart and the connection weakens, then breaks.

If you want to have strong and meaningful relationships with the people in your life do not neglect this aspect. It’s true that our busy lives make it difficult to keep in touch with our friends and family, but when you realise how important this is, I hope you can make time.

You can always re-purpose some of the time you are currently using for other, not-so-useful activities. We all have those bad habits we cling to every day: mindlessly consuming content, either by scrolling through socials, playing video games or watching something on Netflix. And while these activities help us unwind, I am willing to bet that you are doing more of this than is healthy.

So exchange some of that time with human interaction. Take one evening every week and re-purpose it to encourage healthy human, face-to-face connection.

Master the art of authentic communication in relationships

I can’t tell you how many relationships I found myself in, where the conversation was always surface level. I used to be afraid of showing vulnerability, so I always stuck with shallow, safe subjects of conversation. And friendship always felt more like a chore than an opportunity for connection.

Don’t make the same mistake I made. One of the most important social self care practices you need to implement is authentic communication: be a good listener and learn to share.

We are inclined to feel closer to the people who seem the most like us. When you share your worries, struggles and failures, this signals to the other person that you are like them, because these are universal experiences. It creates a bond that says we’re in this together. It makes you vulnerable, sure, but it also opens the door for them to share, too.

If, like me, you learnt to hide your real self in some misguided attempt to protect yourself, it’s time to un-learn this behaviour. Because it is not serving you, it’s just keeping you isolated.

Putting yourself out these feels uncomfortable. But like with everything, the more you do it, the easier it gets. Start small. Start with one friend. Take small steps and add to it as you go.

If you feel uncomfortable, that’s ok. It means you are getting out of your comfort zone, and that’s where growth really stars.

Create rituals and traditions that strengthen social bonds

To create sustainable social self care practices, you need to shift your mindset when it comes to leisure. Social interaction is supposed to be fun. It used to be our time off, it was how we would unwind at the end of a hard day. Then social media came along, with the illusion of virtual socialising, and now we’re all avoiding each other.

We avoid talking to strangers, we feel annoyed when someones calls out of the blue, we treat social interaction like an event that needs to be planned, curated, and then advertised online. Friendship is performative, time off is something we do alone.

But what if we shifted this mindset back to what it used to be when there was no media to steal our attention? When interacting with people was just a normal part of your every day? Here are a few ideas on how to make people part of your leisure time:

set up recurring social activities, like games nights
have a weekly movie night, when you go to the cinema with a friend, or watch a movie together at home
normalise having friends over. It used to be something we did back in the day. You don’t need to go to expensive restaurants or cocktail bars; you don’t need to schedule every meeting. Encourage your friends to drop by and let the conversation flow over a cup of tea
go on nature walks at the weekend. It’s not only healthy for your body and mind, it also encourages connection through a shared experience
host dinners and house parties for your friends

Setting Healthy Boundaries in Social Relationships

While staying connected is important for your social self care, it’s just as vital to know how to honour your own boundaries. Otherwise, relationships can shift from fulfillment to frustration.

We are all different, we have diverse life experiences and different needs. So it’s normal that our interests might clash every now and then. This does not mean that thee is something wrong with your relationship.

In fact, conflict is a natural part of human interaction. But you do need to be aware of these differences and how to avoid turning conflicting interests into frustration and anger. This is social self care hygiene.

Most people feel uncomfortable when it comes to sharing their boundaries. If something or someone oversteps our boundaries, we prefer to ignore or hide it, because we fear confrontation. We think we would much rather endure the transgression, than go through the ordeal of calling it out, trying to explain how it affects us and why it should be stopped.

Maybe you are the same. Maybe you fear rejection, or don’t want to deal with an upset friend. And it is true: if the other person lacks emotional maturity, they might end up feeling upset, hurt, or act out.

This is why it’s important to:

1. Communicate your boundaries from a place of empathy.

Be firm, but also try to put yourself in their place. Help them understand why this boundary is important for you, and how you feel without it. Ask if there are any boundaries they need to enforce themselves. Emphasise how important communication is for the health of your relationship.

2. Let people deal with their own feelings.

If you expressed your needs in a respectful way and they are still upset, you don’t have to feel personally responsible. Too often we feel at fault for other people’s emotions. But know this: adults can regulate their own emotions. And if they don’t, they will learn. It’s not your job to make them feel better. And it certainly is not your job to make yourself feel bad, and betray your needs, to maintain the status quo.

Building a Sustainable Social Self Care Routine

To make nurturing your relationships a habit, you need to develop social self care practices that can be easily integrated into your daily life. Develop a regular social schedule, like going to the gym. Here are a few ideas:

Design a personalised social self care plan

You don’t need to fill up your week with social events. Make it small. Start with one day a week. If you end to have more time at the weekend, make Sunday the day you see a fried in real life.

Make it non-negotiable. It doesn’t matter if it rains, or your household chores have magically multiplied, or you feel down and just want to stay in. There will always be excuses.

If you don’t trust yourself to stick to his schedule, make it a commitment. Buy movie tickets at the beginning of the week, so you can’t get out of it. Schedule an activity that involves several people, because you won’t feel like blowing everyone off. Find little tricks like these to hold yourself accountable if you know your motivation is usually low.

Incorporate regular check-ins with loved ones

If you tend to get carried away with everyday life and forget to check in with people, set reminders for yourself. I legit have reminders in my agenda that sound like this: “Call mom”; “Check in with X”.

There’s no shame in needing a little help. Better than letting your friends and loved ones be the ones who always reach out.

Create meaningful group activities and traditions

I already hinted at this, but it’s always good to have a reminder: schedule regular activities with your friends. Create traditions, like Sunday is movie night at my place. This is a great opportunity for your group of friends to get together, connect and unwind.

Don’t worry if this kind of thing is not normal in your friend group. Be the one who starts these traditions, if nobody else will. People love these kinds of things, and the reason why we don’t have more of it is because we’re all afraid of sounding weird or being rejected. Be the one to break this cycle, and you will encourage others to come up with ideas of their own!

Evaluate and adjust social self care practices regularly

Don’t be afraid to re-evaluate your social self care practices regularly. Something that worked for a while might not be working anymore. Our lives are always in flux, our relationships are always evolving. If something doesn’t work anymore, change or adjust it.

Check in with your friends, see what works for them, do they have any suggestions? Don’t forget that your ultimate goal is creating a healthy and fulfilling social life for yourself.

Conclusion

Implementing social self care practices isn’t just about having a busy social calendar – it’s about creating meaningful connections that support your overall well-being. By incorporating these strategies into your daily routine, you’ll build stronger relationships while maintaining healthy boundaries.

Remember, small steps in social self care can lead to significant improvements in your mental health and life satisfaction. Start with one practice today, and watch how it transforms your social connections!

Why Is Social Self Care Important? Essential Guide to Nurturing Your Social Well-being

Did you know that people with strong social connections have a 50% higher chance of living longer than those with weaker social bonds? In today’s fast-paced digital world, we often overlook one of the most crucial aspects of our well-being – social self care.

From the warmth of a friend’s smile to the comfort of a meaningful conversation, our social connections shape not just our happiness, but our very survival. Let’s explore why social self care is important, and why prioritising your social well-being might be the missing piece in your self-care routine!

Why Is Social Self Care Important?

Social self care is the practice of actively and intentionally nurturing interpersonal relationships. Its role in our overall wellness is paramount. Social interaction and a feeling of belonging to a community are essential for our emotional well-being.

Social connection is directly responsible for influencing our brain chemistry. Positive social interaction releases feel-good hormones, reduces anxiety and helps regulate our nervous system.

Studies have shown that people who have strong ties to their communities and fulfilling relationships have an increased survival likelihood by 50%.

This effect is comparable to quitting smoking and exceeds many well-known risk factors for mortality.

This makes sense from an evolutionary standpoint: we used to live in tribes, relying on the people around us for safety. As pretty defenseless primates, we found our strength in numbers. Being part of a larger group would ensure that we could defend ourselves against natural predators, and we could work together to build shelter and gather resources.

Under these conditions, isolation would have been a threat to survival. Not being part of a social support network would feel unsafe, it increase feelings of anxiety. We evolved to rely on each other, and these instincts have not going to away. Our bodies are wired to thrive in communities.

The Science Behind Social Connections

When discussing why is social self care important, we have to start with the science behind social connections. Let’s deep dive into how social support networks influence resilience and coping mechanisms.

When we engage in positive social interactions, several fascinating changes occur in our brain:

1. Neurotransmitter Release

Oxytocin (often called the “bonding hormone”) is released during positive social interactions. It promotes trust, empathy, and attachment while reducing anxiety
Dopamine levels increase, creating feelings of pleasure and reward that motivate us to seek out more social connections
Serotonin production is boosted, helping to regulate mood and contributing to feelings of happiness and contentment

2. Brain Structure Changes

Regular positive social interactions can actually strengthen neural pathways in areas related to empathy and social cognition
The prefrontal cortex, which handles emotional regulation and decision-making, shows enhanced activity
The amygdala (our emotional processing center) becomes better regulated, helping us manage stress and emotional responses

3. Stress Response Modification

Social support reduces activity in the hypothalamus, which controls stress responses
This leads to lower cortisol levels (the primary stress hormone)
The presence of supportive others can actually dampen our neural response to threatening situations

4. Memory and Learning Benefits

Social interactions stimulate the hippocampus, enhancing memory formation and recall
Learning in social contexts often leads to better retention and understanding
Social engagement helps maintain cognitive flexibility and can protect against cognitive decline

5. Pain Processing

Positive social connections can activate the brain’s natural pain-suppressing mechanisms
The presence of loved ones can reduce activity in pain-processing regions of the brain
This explains why social support can help people cope better with physical pain

Signs You Need More Social Self Care

Feeling lonely now and then is normal, our feelings tend to fluctuate and respond to the events in our lives. But if this a constant feeling in your life, you need to introduce some social self care practices in your routines. Please don’t overlook it, this is serious.

A 2018 study found that social isolation is associated with:

29% increased risk of depression
32% increased risk of anxiety disorders
26% increased risk of suicidal ideation
Cognitive decline equivalent to 8 years of aging

No need to panic if your social circle isn’t that extended. The quality of the relationships is more important than quantity. So it’s better to focus on strengthening the relationships you already have and create meaningful connections, rather than become a social butterfly.

It’s also a good idea to focus on real life connections, instead of the digital ones. Relationships are strongest when interactions are face-to-face.

Benefits of Prioritising Social Self Care

So why is social self care important, and why should you go out of your way to prioritise it?

First, strong social connections enhance emotional resilience. If you have friends you feel safe to share your problems with, it will help lighten the burden. Processing your issues out loud helps with emotional regulation. Doing so in the company of someone you trust enhances the feeling of safety. It also helps to have an emotional support system while facing difficult times.

Having a strong social support network can also contribute to achieving your personal and professional goals.

When you feel surrounded with people you trust, you are less likely to live in fight-or-flight mode, or to be overwhelmed by stress. The knowledge that you have the support of your loved ones can help overcome hurdles with ease, and come up with faster and better solutions to your problems.

Having and maintaining social connections has long-term health benefits. Social support reduces depression and anxiety symptoms. In fact, people with strong social networks (no, not the digital ones!) have a 75% lower risk of developing clinical depression. I’d say that’s a pretty strong incentive to start prioritising social self care right now.

Practical Strategies for Social Self Care

So, where do you start your social self care practice?

Focus on building and maintaining meaningful relationships. Remember, the quality of your relationships is more important than the quantity. Invest time and attention in your friendships. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Invest time and effort into your relationships

Meaningful relationships take time and effort. You need to schedule time to catch up with your friends, reach out and stay in touch. Book activities you can do together around common interests.

Have regular date nights with your partner. If you are the kind of person who always pushes these things back because you are too busy, it’s a good idea to block time in your calendar for these things.

Get comfortable with uncomfortable conversations

Meaningful relationships make space for uncomfortable conversations. The lack of conflict is not a sign that things are going great, on the contrary: it’s a sign that something is being overlooked or suppressed.

We are unique human beings, all different form one another, so it’s natural that our interests don’t always align. This is why it’s important to have those uncomfortable conversations. Be honest, open and understanding. This is an opportunity to communicate and strengthen your connection.

Be authentic

You can’t have a real relationship with someone if you are hiding your real self. Many of us have been conditioned to be ashamed of certain character traits or inadequacies. The social media driven world we live in teaches us that we have to display a perfect image and perform rather than be.

Unfortunately, people feel if you are not being authentic and they naturally gravitate away from you. Work on being yourself and stop trying to be perfect. After all, it’s our quirks and our uniqueness that make us interesting to others.

Give and take

Meaningful relationships are well balanced. If just one person in the relationship is putting in the effort, it can never feel rewarding. Make sure you listen as much as you speak. Make sure you reach out and come up with initiatives. Don’t rely on the other person to keep the whole thing afloat, because they will tire of it eventually.

In the same way, if the other person is not contributing to the relationship, you might want to have one of those uncomfortable conversations and understand why this is. Express your feelings and needs, and if the other person if not willing to contribute, this might not be a relationship worth your time.

Overcoming Barriers to Social Self Care

I know, we all live busy lives. Often the simple fact of surviving takes up all the time we have in a day. We have so many work and personal engagements, that it’s often difficult to squeeze in social activities into our already full schedule.

But as we’ve already discussed, looking after your social well-being is not a luxury. If you find it difficult to find time for social interactions, maybe it’s a good idea to go back to your reason: what is the motivation for wanting a better social life?

Remind yourself that you are doing this because you want to be healthy, to live longer, and you want a calmer nervous system.

While it can be difficult to add something to an already crammed schedule, ask yourself whether it’s possible to replace something that doesn’t quite serve you. For example, if you spend your evenings scrolling on your phone, could you sacrifice one of those sessions in a week and replace it with a friendly catch-up?

When you see things on these terms, you realise it’s not about just another thing you have to do, it’s about prioritising the habits and behaviours that promote health and well-being.

Conclusion

Social self care isn’t just a luxury – it’s a fundamental necessity for our well-being. By understanding its importance and implementing practical strategies, we can create a more connected, fulfilling life.

Remember, investing in your social well-being today creates a stronger, more resilient you for tomorrow.

Ready to take the first step? Start by reaching out to one person in your social circle today!