Episode 008 – Air Date July 22, 2021
Title: Social Wellness – Nurturing Yourself and Your Relationships
In this episode of Emily Tells All, during Social Wellness Month, Emily explores the key role that giving and receiving social support plays in a healthy lifestyle.
Aspire Health Partners – Phil Toal
Social Wellness – Nurturing Yourself and Your Relationships
Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Phil Toal. As the Senior Vice President of Aspire Health Partners and a licensed mental health counselor of 42 years, he proved to be a great resource on the topic of mental health wellness. In this interview, we discussed the key role that nurturing your social wellness plays in living a healthy lifestyle. Read on for our tips on how to find balance, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mental and Social Health During and After the Pandemic
According to Dr. Toal, over 50% of Americans have indicated increased depression, anxiety, and substance use related to the pandemic. As the pandemic begins to wane, the question most people are asking is, “How can I restore some normalcy to my life?”
For most people, the pandemic has introduced a lot of trauma that they wouldn’t have otherwise dealt with. Beyond their daily lives, they’ve handled deaths of loved ones, being laid off, and the stress and anxiety related to those situations. Moreover, they had to seek new coping mechanisms because the ones they were accustomed to were no longer available.
I suggested that this may be difficult for individuals with social anxiety who were just beginning with therapy as they would have been isolated by the pandemic. This would have been a stark setback. Fortunately, Dr. Toal noted that the pandemic boosted telehealth services via phone, computer, and Zoom. This was one way that doctors kept in touch with patients who required continual support for their mental illness.
In addition to seeking mental health services, Dr. Toal highlights that maintaining social wellness also revolves around finding balance in your life. While this will take time, it can help you address the issues that have begun to consume your life. This may include isolation, fear, anxiety, depression, increased substance use, etc. Keep reading to learn about the tactics we discussed to restore balance to your life!
Dr. Toal Tells All: Finding Balance
As our conversation progressed, we discussed the actionable ways that people can continue to find balance in their daily lives for greater social wellness.
Advocate for yourself
I shared with Dr. Toal how often I feel that work-life balance is difficult to achieve as a minority woman. He suggested that I call this out when it occurs. Be assertive, make it known, and let people in on the conversation. If you don’t, others won’t know that it’s even an issue. You are your best advocate!
Create a schedule
Dr. Toal revealed that he’s a big fan of scheduling. Not just in a professional sense but also in a social sense. Scheduling your leisure time can ensure that you’re creating balance in fulfilling ways. For example, as a woman, you may be splitting time as a wife, mother, full-time employee, and caretaker to elderly parents. If you’re doing all of this, when are you spending time just for yourself? Having a clear schedule can ensure that you’re not sacrificing the time you need to mentally relax and take care of yourself.
Know when to step back
When you create any type of balance (or schedule) it’s important that you know what your life should look like. How much work is too much? Are you working just hard enough to feel fulfilled, or are you pushing yourself to the point of burnout? What feels good for you, and what is just past enough?
Know when to step back, and when it’s time to say, “Enough is enough.”
Let go of the wrong people
Friendships are a part of social wellness, and it’s critical to have a support system in your life. Yet, it’s also important to remember that there will be people who don’t accept you. People who judge you, and people who don’t have anything nice to say. In these cases, it’s essential to recognize when you should cut those individuals out of your life for your own social well-being.
Final Thoughts
Remember, if you’re having trouble, give yourself a little grace. The events that you’ve been through in the last 18 months have likely been some of the toughest in your life. So, get off your back and quit being so hard on yourself!
