If you’re there for others, they’ll be more likely to be there for you. Reach out to lend a hand or just say hello. To get the most out of your social relationships, you have to make an effort. Often people expect others to reach out to them, and then feel rejected when people don’t go out of their way to do so. But remember to look to people you can trust and count on, to avoid disappointing, negative interactions that can make you feel worse.īe proactive. Look to different relationships for different kinds of support. Maybe you have a colleague you can talk to about problems at work, and a neighbor who lends an ear when you have difficulties with your kids. You may not have someone you can confide in about everything - and that’s okay. When it comes to your social supports, one size doesn't fit all. Grow your support networkĬast a wide net. In any case, it’s possible to forge new connections to reap the benefits of a healthy support network. Many others lose established connections due to life changes such as retirement, relocation or the death of a loved one. Some people have trouble making social connections. Yet social skills don’t always come naturally. Some people find camaraderie among just a handful of people, be they co-workers, neighbors or friends from their church or religious institution, for instance. You don’t need a huge network of friends and family to benefit from social support, however. And though it may seem counterintuitive, having strong social support can actually make you more able to cope with problems on your own, by improving your self-esteem and sense of autonomy. In fact, experts say, almost all of us benefit from social and emotional support. However, more than half (55 percent) also said they could have used at least a little more emotional support. When asked if there is someone they can ask for emotional support, such as talking over problems or helping make difficult decisions, 70 percent said yes. ![]() The benefits of social supportĪs important as social support is, many Americans don’t feel they have access to this valuable resource. The good news is that there are ways to seek out such support, and to nurture your supportive relationships. 2 In fact, low levels of social support have even been linked to increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease, infectious diseases and cancer. Loneliness has been associated with a wide variety of health problems including high blood pressure, diminished immunity, cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline. The 2015 survey found the average stress level for those with emotional support was 5.0 out of 10, compared to 6.3 for those without such support. Twenty-four percent of American adults reported this extreme level of stress in 2015, up from 18 percent the previous year.Įmotional support is an important protective factor for dealing with life’s difficulties. ![]() ![]() But worrisomely, a significantly greater percentage of adults reported experiencing a stress level of 8 or higher on the 10-point scale. On a scale of 1 to 10 where 10 is "a great deal of stress" and one is "little or no stress," American adults rated their stress level at a 5.1 today, up from 4.9 in 2014. According to APA’s 2015 Stress in America survey 1, average stress levels today are slightly higher than they were in 2014. Stress is a normal and unavoidable part of life - but too much stress can affect your emotional and physical wellbeing.
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