Spring and summer months are excellent opportunities to invest in different areas of wellness. For May, the Rosecrance therapeutic recreation department asked staff about social wellness, which is one of eight dimensions identified by the Substance Abuse and mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Here are a few of their insights:
What does the phrase “you are not alone” mean to you?
Danielle Willette, Unit Specialist—“Nobody has to suffer alone. Any concern or struggle that an individual has, there is a group of people somewhere that struggles with the same thing and has found ways to work through the pain, grow and get better. … If you have felt alone, know that your people are out there, waiting and eager to support you. You are not alone. We are not meant to handle the struggles of life alone.”
How do you invest in your own social wellness?
Sandra Knezevic, Unit Coordinator, is intentional about communicating through “coffee with a friend, phone call on my way to work, uninterrupted phone-free time with my husband and son, and frequent communication with my family.”
Christopher Druce Jones, Director of Chaplaincy—“I invest in the social dimension of my wellness through hospitality in creating a space and environment where people are able to feel welcomed, accepted, and a sense of belonging whenever they are in my presence.”
Paul Fasano, Recreation Therapist— “I am very intentional to surround myself with friends that are of solid character for support, for challenge, for fitness, for faith, and for life.”