The Importance of Focusing on Healthy Relationships
Our health and wellbeing are intricately affected by the relationships we have with others. Whether it’s with family, friends, colleagues, a spouse, or neighbours – we depend on others to help us overcome hurdles, deal with the stresses of life, find solutions to our problems, and lift our spirits. That’s why maintaining personal connections are so important. We need them to survive. But in order to keep strong, long-lasting relationships, there are a few critical ingredients that are needed.
If one of your resolutions this year includes focusing on healthy relationships, here’s why it’s such an important resolution to continuously work on improving.
Sense of Personal Identity
The foundation of any good, healthy relationship first stems from the relationship that we have with ourselves. Having a good sense of personal identity means that you as a person know and respect who you are and understand your self-worth. But your relationships with others also helps you learn more about yourself and the world around you. That’s why it’s important to surround yourself with people who share in your similar set of values.
Boosts Our Self-Esteem
Surrounding yourself with positive connections that are supportive, loving, and uplifting is also a crucial part of building your self-esteem. These types of relationships nurture us and literally help to improve our well-being by making us feel seen, loved, and accepted.
Help Us Deal with Stress
When you’ve had a rough day at work, need some advice or just need to be around an enjoyable company, the connections you have with others can provide you with the stress-relieving outlets that you need. The support offered by those around is essential for managing stressful hurdles, which is why interpersonal connections are so important to maintain and nurture.
Can Help to Reduce Depression
As the world becomes increasingly addicted to smart tech devices, we’re forgetting how to communicate with each other. As a result, loneliness is becoming more pervasive, particularly among younger people. Aside from being linked to depression, loneliness has also shown to induce insomnia, lower workplace productivity, contribute to cardiovascular problems, and more. This alone highlights just how much we need and depend on those daily interactions with others to maintain and improve our health and wellbeing – whether it’s with co-workers, family or even your neighbours.
If you’re interested in speaking with a counselor to assist you with your relationships this year, we can help. Ottawa Counselling offers a safe and comfortable space with professional counsellors who can offer the support and guidance you’re looking for. Contact us today to learn more.