In our stressful everyday working lives, we often long for a little relaxation. Preferably in our comfort zone with people who are close to us and whose presence does not drain our batteries but recharges them. Find out why friends and family are so important in this blog post.
SOCIAL CONTACTS – WHY THEY ARE SO IMPORTANT
Without other people, we would not have survived after birth. In order to develop properly, we depend on the contact and care of other people. We learned a large part of the skills we take for granted today, by observing other people. Although, as adults we no longer need anyone to feed us or from whom we learn to walk, social contacts are indispensable for us since they are an important component of our resilience.
WHAT IS RESILIENCE?
Resilience refers to the ability to cope with stress and crises while remaining healthy. In other words, it is a person’s psychological resistance. An important factor that makes us a resilient person is our social network. A strong social network lends us support and security, especially in uncertain times.
PAST VS. PRESENT – HOW WE STAY CONNECTED
Keeping in touch with family, friends and colleagues is easier today than ever. Whereas in the past you had to make an appointment to talk on the phone, today everyone can be reached at almost any time. A WhatsApp message is delivered in a fraction of a second, we can video chat with each other in real time and the location no longer matters. This digital development is incredibly valuable in maintaining our social network, despite limited face-to-face meetings. However, these technological advances also mean that our social network is now on average much larger than it was a few years ago. Through Facebook, Instagram & Co. we are in contact with hundreds of people. Unfortunately, the amount of contacts does not make for a strong network. For us and our resilience, the following applies: quality over quantity.
SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS – GIVE AND TAKE
Maybe you sometimes think of phrases like “I can manage on my own”, “If I let people help me, I make myself dependent”, “Only weak people need help” or “I don’t want to burden anyone with my problems”. Such beliefs are not only wrong, but they also do us no good. Because as we know by now, a good social network and thus, also helping each other makes us stronger and psychologically more resilient. Relationships always include both – giving and taking. There are phases when we need more support and can give less. But just like that, there will come a phase when our counterpart needs more support, and we will be able to help them.
HELPING OTHERS – ALMOST AS GOOD AS CHOCOLATE…
Of course, this does not mean that helping only serves to ensure that we will also be helped in return at some point. Regardless of what we get back, helping others is good for us. Researchers have found that helpfulness is reflected in increased activity in the brain’s reward system – the same region that is stimulated when we eat chocolate. But without any consequences for your figure.