Statistics show that twenty percent of Americans experience loneliness when they’re less busy. Because we’re social creatures, this feeling may affect you more than you realize.

Social awareness is belonging to, being aware of, and participating in your community. It’s the ability to communicate appropriately about our feelings, needs, and thoughts and being able to listen and understand when someone else reciprocates.

Offering and receiving social support can improve self-esteem, keep depression and loneliness in check, and generally help you foster a sense of belonging. Improve your social wellness by:

Keeping your commitments

Being flaky or unreliable won’t help your relationships. It’s essential to make commitments you can keep up with instead of raising someone’s expectations and disappointing them.

But again, what can you do when you’re uncertain about a commitment you’re about to make? The answer; think again before agreeing. Turning down this request is better than ringing up later to disappoint.

Appreciating yourself and your community

While it may be difficult to always focus on the positives in your life, this approach makes you happier and more hopeful. Positive thinking goes a long way, and it doesn’t affect only you; it also extends to those around you.

Keeping positive energy is contagious. Give compliments and hugs, and you’ll understand the impact of appreciating yourself and your community.

Maintain positive relationships

As you become a socially aware individual, letting go of past and unfavorable relationships will do wonders for your mental health. But so will adopting a different approach; forgive those who wronged you in the past. If that friendship or relationship once made you feel good, you may consider rekindling it to strengthen your social support system.

When you’re working on your social wellness, one of the things you can do for those around you is to empathize with them, including letting go of grudges.

Take responsibility

Every relationship entails two or more people who contribute negatively or positively to situations. Taking responsibility for your part in any dispute shows you value social wellness.

Avoid arguing to be right because it hinders you from listening to the other party to understand their perspective. Situations like this may result in conflict, resentment, or the end of the relationship.

Don’t judge, criticize, or blame yourself or others

The tendency to be hard on yourself is a common challenge, but it’s best to avoid it because it negatively impacts self-esteem. It can also be the basis for depression, anxiety, and other social disorders.

To maximize social wellness, engage in constructive criticism only. And avoid blaming or judging yourself or others.

Know yourself and practice self-care

Identifying your values, needs, and preferences makes it easier for you to communicate them to those around you. A stable sense of identity will help you determine who’s most suitable for your social support system.

Self-care is also vital, and it goes beyond wearing an exfoliating mask or soaking in the tub. It entails embracing good habits like eating well, meditating, working out, and keeping a positive mindset.