Let's be better together in a post-pandemic world
Social wellbeing… what is it and why is it so hard to weave effectively into our busy lives? 1 of 5 key pillars to optimal wellbeing, it’s our ability to make and maintain meaningful positive relationships and regular contact with other people in our world – family, friends, boss, co-workers & partner/spouse.
Belonging is a core human need as we’re wired for connection and having these strong relationships provides us with a long list of benefits.
To name a few:
- Strong relationships buffer against stress
- They provide us with meaning and purpose
- Help us feel more positive emotions
This July, Springday joins forces with social wellbeing experts: The Intime Collective.
We bring our platform users the ultimate social wellbeing program, with the goal of:
- Further understanding these benefits
- How we can experience them personally and professionally
- Helping people feel loved, valued and connected
But first, a look at how we got here…
The 2000’s brought us many things; the iPhone, Facebook and Rihanna to name a few. But more than any decade before, the 2000’s gave rise to the wellness movement.
Shrugging off the grungy aesthetic of the nineties, 2001 heralded the arrival of toned bodies, gleaming smiles and minds full of the latest self-help book.
A major theme of this decade has been the intersection of the wellbeing movement with the technology used to disseminate it.
It’s a world of closer digital connectivity and solutions, than ever before and yet somehow so many of us struggle to keep all aspects of our wellbeing in check.
The introduction and subsequent domination of social media networks, most notably Facebook and Instagram have irrevocably changed the way we interact with the world and each other.
The latest data from Sprout Social indicates 79% of people aged 30 – 49 use Facebook, while almost 50% of that group use Instagram, that’s a sizeable chunk of working professionals engaging with these platforms on a daily basis.
According to later.com the most popular hashtag in 2020 is #gym closely followed by #workout in third place.
Moving down the list we have #fit, #health and #healthy all placed higher than #friends which we find humbly positioned at spot 35.
If these trends are anything to go by it would seem social media is less about socialising and more about, well, the gym.
But the fact that our social networks have become more about appearances is surely not a foreign concept to anyone.
Source: Instagram
The question being, if our social networks are not providing us with a sense of social wellbeing, what can we do to foster it personally and professionally?
The good news is, social wellbeing is a skill. It can be taught and learnt, so to future proof it, you simply need to give it your time and attention.
The Intime Collective suggests the key to success is “tuning into the latest research, finding the parts that resonate most with you, then turning these into small but regular habits. When you do things often over time, they become habitual, it’s like you’re on auto pilot which means there isn’t so much to think about at all.”
– Louise Gilbert, Director of The Intime Collective
Another great thing to note is that positive connections don’t necessarily require deep and intimate relationships or extensive interactions.
“Did you know it takes just a split second to connect with someone? Every moment counts: one warm greeting of ‘hello’, one uplifting conversation or one positive email exchange can leave us and the other person with a sense of vitality. These moments of high-quality connection contribute to flourishing individuals, in addition to the team and organisational effectiveness in the workplace.”
– The Intime Collective
To make our quest for social fulfilment even harder, 2020 served us the biggest curve ball imaginable (yes, it is time to mention the infectious elephant in the room).
The Coronavirus pandemic has literally forced us apart in ways nobody could imagine or foresee.
It seems a crazy irony that for a decade so focussed on wellness, 2020 has brought us the biggest health crisis faced in centuries.
But as much as the virus has carved out a new reality of distancing measures and hand washing, it has also demonstrated just how valuable our relationships and social connections can be.
As we begin now, to slowly come back together what are some ways we can rebuild our social wellbeing even stronger than before?
We’d like to leave you with 4 small tangible steps from The Intime Collective that will help better your social being and that of your colleagues, and employees – ultimately the best place to start is always with ourselves.
- Celebrate the good things and strengths within each other. Most people don’t know their own strengths, let alone the strengths in others so go exploring and discover them. It’s fun to do and energising.
- Having conflict is normal so build your communication and problem solving skills in this area. Once the resentment and eye rolling kicks in, the research shows us you’re heading for relationship breakdown.
- Get to know your people deeply, whether we’re talking about relationships with your colleagues or your partner. It sounds simple, but ask questions about them and listen to what they’re saying. People change over time, so you’ve got to keep up to speed with what’s going on for them. This does take some time, so try to prioritise it.
- Think small, focus on small gestures and micro moves. And do these often. E.g. Say thank you, give someone your undivided attention, listen, celebrate the tiny wins – these things don’t take much time and they make a big difference.
What’s new?
‘Better Together’ Virtual Masterclass, powered by Springday
I’m proud to present Springday’s first ever live masterclass this month, highlighting the bubbly and knowledgeable Louise Gilbert from The Intime Collective.
If you’d like to hear the latest research around positive psychology and building strong relationships, as well as pick up some practical social wellbeing tips, join us live Thursday 23rd July 10.30am AEST.
Oh there will be fun, prizes and live polls too thanks to our hosts FUNLOCKA.
What else is going on?
Simone Biles Just Debuted a Gymnastic Move That’s Never Been Seen Before, it’s called a triple-double dismount, and watching it will make your day.
A timely and powerful read on the power of human touch, I was first hugged at 18.
Is your screen/life balance in check right now?!? This study tells us why technology is the double edge sword for our worker’s mental health, and why our employees need wellbeing support now more than ever.
Back to the pub we go, but first read this: Getting back on the beers after lockdown? Here’s what you should know.
And here’s a bit of fun for the whole fam – James Corden and the Muppets having a singalong is 3 minutes of pure joy.
Written by: Georgie Drury, founder and co-CEO, Springday
