Social well-being has definitions emerging from a range of fields. But overall, it’s defined as the subjective evaluation of personal life circumstances and functioning in society. Social interactions, both in terms of quality and quantity, can have a short- and long-term influence on mental well-being and physical health.

Social wellness refers not only to our social interactions, but also to our relationships with communities and social structures that constitute a key and distinct domain of well-being. Support systems for social wellness are different for everyone, but not having those systems in place creates a barrier to nurturing relationships and overall health.

Social health can impact your mental health, which can impact your physical health. And vice versa. Maintaining an optimal level of social wellness allows you to build healthy relationships with others. Having a supportive social network allows you to develop assertive skills and become comfortable with who you are in social situations.

Wellness means different things for different people. For some, it means taking the time to unwind, meditate, spend time with loved ones or focus on their fitness. For others, it could mean seeing the value of wellness through the support of a child with ADHD. At Genesys, we’re called to embrace empathy — empowering us to recognize everyone’s value, learn new ways to approach opportunities and accommodate those who have historically been excluded.

July is Social Wellness Month, and it’s dedicated to nurturing relationships. Experts say that being the social support you want to from friends is key to avoiding one-sided relationships. In this blog, I share my story of how and why I’ve prioritized wellness each day — and how that translates to being available for others when they need me.

My Wellness Game Plan

For me, wellness is personal and it’s a priority. When I’m in a good place, I’m a better wife, parent and leader. I’ve learned that when I am burned out or not at my best, the remedy isn’t getting more rest. The remedy is in restructuring my life.

Although restructuring your life may sound daunting, it’s actually more manageable than you might think. During the pandemic, I experienced the loss of a loved one to suicide, which resulted in my own feelings of depression and severe anxiety. More rest didn’t help. Neither did more yoga.

The game changer for me to feel like myself again was to make and prioritize bite-sized improvements to my day to form new habits.

I began writing down my accomplishments as a reminder of things I’m good at. If I found myself working on something for two hours and getting nowhere or not being productive, I would stop and do something else. I’d come back to that thing later when I was more refreshed.

I began booking small breaks between meetings and would use that time to step away from my screen to take quick walks. I began avoiding people, places and things that did not bring me joy. Eventually, I carved out more time to exercise and move my body. I would identify three to five goals to focus on, saying “No” to everything else.

Over the past few years, my perspective on wellness has shifted from being a privilege I didn’t think I had or could make time for to being a priority and a key aspect of how I maintain my health — both mental and physical. Though I don’t nail it perfectly every day, having a wellness game plan in place helps to quiet the anxiety and get back to smashing goals.