Between busy schedules and everyday stresses, it’s easy to neglect your emotional well-being. However, this often overlooked aspect of the wellness puzzle is critical to both physical and mental health. For many older adults, figuring out how to improve their emotional well-being can be a challenge. Learn about how healthy emotional well-being is defined and how you can cultivate it at any age.
What Is Emotional Well-Being?
We often hear about the importance of physical and mental well-being, but what about emotional well-being? While it might not always be in the spotlight, emotional well-being is just as essential to your overall health.
Emotional well-being is defined by how well you can cope with stressful situations and adversity. Instead of feeling hopelessness and despair when confronted with obstacles, those with a strong sense of emotional well-being are able to maintain positive thoughts and feelings and bounce back quickly.
Having a healthy sense of emotional well-being comes with benefits such as:
- Keeping a well-rounded perspective when giving or receiving feedback
- Making difficult conversations and discussions approachable
- Building and maintaining strong personal relationships
- Feeling more energized and focused
How Friendships Strengthen Your Emotional Well-Being
There are many factors that can improve your emotional well-being: regular exercise, quality sleep and mindfulness are a few. Another important way to strengthen your emotional well-being is through friendships and social connections.
Here are some ways friendships can strengthen your emotional well-being:
Provide a Sense of Belonging
Finding belonging is a natural human trait. Whether that’s through a softball team, church group or volunteer organization, having a place where you fit in and feel accepted fosters a sense of belonging. A tight-knit friend group can provide this same sense of belonging, which has been shown to reduce feelings of hopelessness and depression, as well as offer positive health impacts such as lowering blood pressure.
Reinforce Healthy Behaviors
Positive relationships often promote positive behaviors. If your friends value things that enhance emotional well-being such as regular exercise or a good night’s sleep, their choices often encourage you to follow suit. Good friends are also more likely to speak up when they see you making concerning choices like heavy drinking or unhealthy eating. This balance helps keep you emotionally stronger and healthier both physically and mentally.
Improve Self-Esteem
Emotional well-being is a form of mental resilience. Sometimes we all need an extra pick-me-up from a trusted friend, especially when we are struggling. A strong friendship should leave you feeling uplifted and energized, and these positive interactions boost both self-esteem and sense of identity.
How Community Living Helps Build Friendships Later in Life
With age, opportunities to form strong, meaningful friendships tend to feel limited. As a result, many older adults find community living is an ideal way to overcome this increased sense of isolation. If you’re on the fence about where you want to spend retirement, consider these three ways community living can help build friendships:
Neighborhood Network
Over time the dynamics of a familiar neighborhood are bound to change. People move away to be closer to family or explore new opportunities. With community living, you’re surrounded by like-minded individuals who are planning to spend the rest of their lives there enjoying all the community has to offer.
Support for Your Passions
Retirement means you have the chance to spend more time on hobbies or activities you find most meaningful. Independent living communities like The Stayton make it a priority to help residents pursue those passions. When you’re surrounded by a community of individuals who share those same interests, you have access to more opportunities to connect with others.
Long-Term Peace of Mind
No matter what the future brings, you want to ensure that you are spending it in a friendly, welcoming place. This is why Life Care communities are such a popular choice for older adults. Residents at these communities can stay in the place they know and love, even if their care needs change.
Explore Community Living at The Stayton
At The Stayton the opportunities to forge new connections are seemingly endless. Thanks to our ideal location in the heart of Fort Worth’s West 7th Cultural District, residents can make connections specific to their distinct tastes with local art, science, theater and music scenes right outside their front door. Additionally, we put a premium on community life, offering everything from world-class dining venues to visiting speakers from local cultural attractions.
If you want to elevate your lifestyle and connect with a community that appreciates the finer things in life, contact us to learn more or schedule a tour.
