Why Belonging to a Community Does Wonders for Your Wellbeing
Why Belonging to a Community Does Wonders for Your Wellbeing
When we think of how best to look after ourselves, our focus usually falls on our diet, exercise regime, sleep schedule, and self-care routine – but what many of us overlook is the monumental impact that a strong sense of community can have on our overall wellbeing.
As a society, we’ve become far more disparate in recent decades: families no longer live in each other’s pockets; neighbours don’t always know one another; friends get together less IRL (in real life), and even our relationships with our colleagues are becoming more virtual. But after the events of the past two years, could we be rediscovering our love of, and need for, community?
When the first lockdown hit back in 2020, we felt our isolation keenly. The relationships that many of us took for granted revealed themselves to be the glue that holds society together, and ultimately, give the most meaning to our lives. We missed chatting to our work mates at the water cooler; we missed popping in to see family, and calling in for a cuppa with friends; we even missed soft play dates and congregating with parents in the playground.
Even the most anti-social among us missed people, but what we really craved was community. And if that community was online? Well that’s just fine.
Community Matters: Here’s Why
Being part of a community is all about belonging. As humans, we like to feel part of something (and we’re all about Being. More. Human at FormScore).
Strong communities – whether in-person or online – support our growth, allow us to build meaningful relationships, and offer us a platform for self-expression. That might be among likeminded people who agree with our way of seeing the world, or with people who challenge us and encourage us to think differently.
Online communities have actually been many people’s saviours during Covid; losing physical closeness with the groups we’d usually spend our time with created a need for virtual camaraderie, and a great many social groups rose to the challenge. Because whether you want to bond over a shared interest, seek a sounding board for parenting challenges, or harness professional advice in your industry of choice, there’s an online community out there for you.
And those communities helped to lessen the loneliness of the lockdowns.
Top Take-Aways from Community Camaraderie
Finding a community that appeals to a part of your identity can have an incredibly positive impact on your mental health and general wellbeing. Here’s why:
You’ll feel more supported: When you join a community, be it online or IRL, you have people to lean on when you need support or advice. But you’ll also be in a position to help others – and as we know, helping others is one of the most effective ways to boost our own wellbeing.
You’ll feel more empowered: Involvement in a community makes you feel far more capable than when going solo. This sense of empowerment comes from being able to influence positive change through participation in the world around you. You’ll also feel the satisfaction that comes from making a difference to other members of your group.
You’ll feel more inspired: Being part of a group that shares openly often leads to a great deal of personal growth and innovation. Communities are resource-rich, so when you have people to bounce ideas off and discuss new concepts with, your knowledge deepens, your insight increases, and the possibilities become endless.
You’ll feel more motivated: One of the biggest challenges of the past two years has been a lack of team spirit in remote workplaces – which, consequently, sees engagement levels drop. The benefit of belonging to a community is the degree of positive reinforcement people so often receive from other members, which in turn keeps motivation high.
You’ll feel more connected: Strong relationships are absolutely crucial to our wellbeing. The sense of security that comes with feeling like you belong is so valuable that few other areas have quite the same impact on our mental health as the connections we build with the people around us.
You’ll feel more passionate: Being bolstered by other people’s enthusiasm is a very valuable commodity. When you feel comfortable enough – and confident enough – to share your interests, beliefs, ideas and opinions, the support of others in your community can really stoke your fire.
Our Future is Shared
Being part of a shared community – whether it’s large or small, virtual or in-person, local or international – can be a lifeline in these challenging times.
Communities help us to solve problems, progress in our careers, find some escapism, indulge in shared humour, feel inspired, vent our frustration, celebrate our accomplishments, and feel comforted by a sense of someone having our backs.