1-minute read
Connections matter. Strong ties with family, friends and the community provide happiness, security, support and a sense of purpose. Being connected to others is important for our mental and physical well-being and can be a protective factor against anxiety and depression.
A sense of belonging, whether inside our own family or in our friends and chosen families help to keep us healthy. It is about feeling loved, cared for, and appreciated by them, and this can be measured by having more than one person to turn to for help and support when we need it.
The World Health Organisation has a decade-long research and advocacy plan for social and emotional well-being and health from 2021-2031.
Source: Word Health Organization - Reducing social isolation and loneliness among older people
It is helpful to identify the features of social and emotional well-being.
They are:
- Happiness
- Optimism
- Satisfaction with life
- Perseverance
- Emotional Regulation ( our ability to control our negative emotions)
- Sadness
- Worries
Source: SA Department for Education 2018
Tips to improve your social connectedness
- Commit to doing at least one ten-fifteen-minute thing for yourself each day. This could be a quick walk outside, a ten-minute reading break, and a cup of tea while breathing slowly.
- Write down three things you are grateful for
- Tell someone why you appreciate them
- Laugh
- Try something new
- Check-in by voice or in person with a family member, friend or neighbour
- Practice your faith in the community
- Reach out for help if you need it
You can get help from Beyond Blue, click here
You can phone a counsellor at Beyond Blue at 1300 224 636 (local call charges apply).
You are not alone. See statistics on the Experience and incidence of loneliness in Australia.
And the statistical effect of mental health incidence in Australia here Beyond Blue Mental Health Statistics
And if you or anyone you know needs help
- Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467
- Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14
- 13YARN - Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander crisis support line on 13 92 76
- Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800
- Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636
- Headspace on 1800 650 890
- ReachOut Australia
- MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978
