As we continue on our journey exploring the essential pillars of wellness, in this week’s FloURIsh Friday, I’ll introduce you to the concept of what Campus Recreation refers to as Social Wellness.

What is Social Wellness? 

Social wellness is integral to your daily life, even if you haven’t realized it yet. It impacts your social identity, how you communicate with others, and how you build relationships. Northwestern University’s Student Affairs Department defines social wellness as “developing a sense of connection, belonging, and a support system.” Someone with higher feelings of social wellness feels more included in their social network, well supported, and is able to develop health boundaries and relationships built on trust. 

Why is Social Wellness Important?

Nobody gets through life alone; a strong sense of community is closely linked to both mental and physical well-being. The US Surgeon General considers community support and social wellness as a key part of physical wellness because of the mind-body connection, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Now more than ever, loneliness is a problem for students across college campuses nationwide. In fact, in 2023 Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy declared the epidemic of loneliness and isolation a public health crisis. Evidence shows that social wellness is critical in reducing physical and mental health conditions; just a simple social connection can protect you from ailing health. 

Tips to Help Rams with Social Wellness

• Participate in a Group Class Through Campus Rec:

URI’s Campus Recreation Facilities has a wide variety of group fitness classes encouraging you to get active with the support of a community behind you. To register for these classes, Download IMLeagues and consider bringing a friend along. Class offerings include yoga, zumba, cycling, and more. Our supportive community offers an environment to get moving while connecting with others. 

You can also check out similar Campus Recreation activities like club and intramural sports, or try a new Aquatics activity like glideboarding to meet new friends while having a good time. 

• Use Technology Intentionally: 

We have unprecedented access to communicate with one another thanks to the prevalence of technology. In some ways this is great – you can keep in touch with long-distance friends, reconnect with people you haven’t seen in a while, and keep a finger on the pulse of your community. Unfortunately, all this access can sometimes have a distancing effect. The quantity of online interaction might not be of great quality. Technology is a great social resource, but it shouldn’t be your only resource. Use it as a tool to make in-person plans, or consider a phone call instead of sending another text. Find little ways to let technology support your social wellness. I suggest joining Campus Recreation’s virtual trivia with friends to compete for up to 50$ in Amazon gift cards. 

• Join Social Groups and Attend Events to Create and Maintain Close Friendships:

Sometimes the key to friendship is a common goal or value. Other times it’s just about finding people to see regularly. URI offers resources for students to feel connected to each other and their community through the Office of Student Involvement and the Center for Student Leadership Department. With over 120+ student groups you are sure to find an organization or activity that interests you! Visit URIInvolved, the new student involvement platform to join and message student organizations with ease. There’s a place for everyone no matter what your interests are. I personally am a part of the English Undergraduate Student Advisory Board and 193 Coffeehouse, where I’ve connected with people all across campus! 

Healthy Relationship Skills

Maintaining relationships isn’t always a breeze. No matter how much you love and care about someone, you will face the occasional disagreement. Nobody agrees with everybody all the time. Sometimes a little argument can snowball into something much bigger if you don’t tend to your social wellness needs within your relationships. It’s important to lean on the foundational skills of building healthy relationships such as:

• Communicate: So much frustration starts with simple miscommunication or failure of communication between two parties.

Here’s an example: You planned to grab lunch with your friend Sally this weekend. This lunch is very important to you because you’ve been feeling disconnected from Sally since she started hanging out with some new friends. When Sally cancels at the last minute to catch up on homework, you find that your feelings are hurt. You try to tell Sally that you’re hurt but she doesn’t understand why missing this lunch was such a big deal. You both end up angry and upset. 

This is where communication comes into play. Sally doesn’t understand your emotions, because you haven’t been open about your feelings. People aren’t mind readers. If you don’t tell Sally that you’ve felt distant from her and that this lunch means a lot to you, then Sally won’t understand how canceling will upset you. For Sally, unaware of how you feel, she maybe doesn’t focus on getting her homework done earlier. She may figure that rescheduling really isn’t a big deal. In these instances, it’s important to recognize how you’re feeling so that you can communicate your needs to others. 

• Learn to Listen:  How often are you listening to someone and thinking more about what you’re going to say next, than what they’re saying? Have you ever been talking to someone and they won’t look up from their phone?  Listening is a skill, believe it or not. It’s something to practice and key to understanding and working with others. When connecting with people you’ll have much greater success if you focus on fundamental facets of listening. Be sure to pay attention to what the other is saying, and don’t talk over them. Pay attention to the nonverbal cues you’re emitting and receiving – having an attentive posture and making eye contact can signal that you’re engaged and care. Also be sure to note the body language, tone, and facial expressions of the person you’re listening to. These cues communicate even more information than just words alone. Try to ask questions and give people space to talk. 

For more information on social wellness and steps to facilitate social support, check out the additional resources below.

Additional Resources: 

• National Institutes of Health Social Wellness Toolkit
• The Surgeon General’s 5-for-5 Connection Challenge

Stay tuned for next week’s FloURIsh Friday Blog as we highlight emotional wellness. We also encourage you to attend FloURIsh Fest on April 12th from 11-2 on the quad! Flourish Fest will bring organizations together across URI, through programming meant to enrich students’ emotional, financial, intellectual, social, and physical lives. Join us on the quad to meet exciting vendors, learn about our amazing sponsors and enter our raffle!

 

By Milo Heard