Social Supports

by | Jan 4, 2023 | Coping, Culture, Relationships, Support

Social support systems are an important part of our lives and are vital to maintaining good mental health and well-being. Recognizing what social supports are and who in our life is a social support can be essential to provide us with a sense of belonging, connection, and validation. Social supports can increase our health by alleviating stress, increasing a person’s confidence and feelings of value, and decreasing feelings of loneliness and isolation. 

Types of Social Supports

Social supports refer to the emotional, tangible, informational, and appraisal support that individuals receive from their social networks. For example, emotional support includes providing comfort, understanding, and listening. Tangible support includes helping with practical tasks, providing financial assistance, or help with childcare. Informational support includes providing advice, help to overcome a challenge, and provide helpful resources and lastly, appraisal support, or social needs, includes offering encouragement, constructive feedback, and fulfillment of basic needs (i.e. love, belonging, connectedness).

Who makes up a social support network?

Social supports come from a variety of sources. Take a second to think of the important people in your life and how they are connected to you. These networks can include friends, family, colleagues, community groups, support groups, and health professionals.

Strengthening your Social Supports

Working on your social support system is important for not only your mental health, but will also benefit your physical health, improve your self-esteem, create a greater resilience to stress, create greater life satisfaction, and increase your feelings of security. To do this, you need to work on your current relationships. Reach out to your friends and family with whom you might not have seen or talked too lately. You can use professional help to strengthen your social support network. Meeting with therapists and social workers can help you solve difficult and challenging life situations so you are not alone. Make sure that when you are improving this social support network, that you are avoiding negative relationships and letting go of those individuals with whom you have unhealthy ties too. 

Review

Social support networks are more than just friends. These people in our lives are the people we feel comfortable turning to when life gets difficult, we need a listening ear, or help with a task. Having a good social support network is beneficial for your mental well-being and for connection. 

Reflection questions

Who do you have in your life as a social support system? 

As you build your social supports, what personal qualities do you look for in people who may be part of the support system?

What positive strengths does your support system bring to you?

What can you learn from your social support system?

Learn more about the author: About Therapist Bethany Winter, MA, LPC Barnum Counseling

Cherry, K. (2022, August 29). A social support system is imperative for Health and well-being. Verywell Mind. Retrieved December 30, 2022, from https://www.verywellmind.com/social-support-for-psychological-health-4119970

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