Do you like being a loner? It might be time to rethink that. Interacting with other people can lead to a lot of great things. In fact, the Tournament of Books would never have been started if some friends hadn’t gotten together at a bar for a friendly social evening.
As it turns out, social relationships have a profound effect on your mental wellbeing, too. Even if you’re seeing a counselor for therapy, spending time with other people is an important way to improve your mental health. Here’s why you need to build a better support system.
It Gives You Valuable Information
When you spend time with other people, you get information that you probably wouldn’t discover on your own. For example, if you’re in a new situation at work, a friend who has faced the same changes might give you tips on how to deal with them. Friends can give you clues about how to react or behave in a variety of circumstances.
It Improves Your Self Esteem
Spending too much time alone can make you feel disliked, unwanted and discarded by society. You begin to wonder if you’re even worth anyone’s time. But, when you seek out the company of positive people, you open the door for others to appreciate you for who you are. Besides that, you remind yourself that you are worthy of acceptance.
It Promotes Self-Control
When you’re always alone, it’s easy to get into bad mental health habits. There’s no one there to notice that you spend all day in bed. No one is around to encourage you to exercise or eat right. No one cares if you indulge in a pity party or engage in serious self-blame. You don’t see the need to control your anger if there’s no one else to witness your angry fit. Once you build up your social network, you’ll be more inclined to control your behavior when you need to do so.
It Helps You Cope During Stressful Times
When you’re facing a stressful life event, such as the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, a divorce, or the onset of a disease, having a good support system is crucial. For one thing, friends and family can help you in practical ways like providing transportation, helping with errands, or even helping financially. All those things reduce your stress.
More importantly, having a solid support system helps you maintain your mental health even when everything seems to be going wrong. You have people around you who understand what you’re going through. They care enough to let you talk about your problems at times. They get your mind off your troubles at other times by getting you involved with projects, trivial conversations, and fun activities.
Although you might feel that it’s better to hide from the world or stick to your own company, everyone needs to spend time with other people regularly. You may have to initiate friendships, get involved in hobbies or activities, and go out when you’d rather stay in. Don’t worry. You’ll live through the discomfort. Then, with your support network in place, you’ll be better equipped to manage your mind, emotions, and overall mental health. If you’re interested in bettering your mental health and support network, visit www.betterhelp.com.
This post is sponsored by BetterHelp.
Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health-related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.