Why is it important to reflect on the social relationships we maintain? To begin with, it is impossible to separate the person from his context, the person cannot exist without the context and, therefore, the context is an intrinsic part of the person. Within this context there are, of course, social relations.
We relate to our parents, siblings, relatives, friends, acquaintances and other circumstantial people. In addition, we interact in different media such as in person, by phone, on social networks, etc. This implies that we are continually interacting with people for many hours of the day.
For this reason it is very important to reflect on the relationships we maintain with others, with our close and non-close environment Both those that “I maintain with them” and those that “they maintain with me”, since being double-directed, it is important both to “what others contribute to me” and to reflect more in depth and see “what I contribute to others”. the rest”. How can we get these answers? Very simple, with communication.
Much of the human experience is based on social interactions
Before entering into aspects of communication in relationships, it is important to realize that our world is not static but changing, new or changing events continually occur. Therefore, the context in which we are changing. That is to say, not every day will always be the same, and not every day our relationships with others will give us the same thing on a personal level. There will be days in which interacting with our environment will bring us benefits, for example receiving advice, help, or empathy or that we provide that benefit to other people, and others that subtract or subtract from us because we have different opinions or do not know how to properly manage that interpersonal relationship. .
In general terms, these social relations They will bring us well-being as long as we feel listened to, understood, supported and respected ; This will result in us feeling emotional well-being. We are social animals, we need the support of our social environment and both verbal and non-verbal communication are essential in a society like the one we have.
How do we know if there are relationships or people that harm our emotional well-being and how to deal with it?
It is normal that relationships with the people around us are related to our emotional well-being, since we are concerned to a greater or lesser extent about what others communicate to us. However, we must be objective and evaluate what each relationship is like with the people around us and how they help our emotional well-being or to what extent they harm it. If we assess that this relationship is harming us, also assess if it is something specific (for example, your mother telling you that the shirt you are wearing that day does not fit you well) or if it is something continuous (contempt and lack of respect on the part of a friendship, for example) that can affect both our emotional well-being and our self-esteem.
If you consider that the relationship with a person around you harms you on a personal level, perhaps it can be considered a toxic relationship To deal with this situation, it is advisable to evaluate how important that relationship is to you and observe what is causing you discomfort. It is very possible that by changing aspects of your communication you can resolve the situation; techniques such as establishing limits, assertiveness and other social skills can be of great help.
So, In the vast majority of situations, it is advisable to face this in a communicative and assertive way ; Communication is the basis of everything and doing it correctly can make the difference between finding a solution or a confrontation. Starting from that base and depending on the problem, some strategies or others can be carried out. Some examples are setting limits, setting rules about something specific, giving yourself more space, and going to therapy.
Main types of communication
Regarding the issue of communication, it is good that we always keep it in mind and evaluate what our type of communication is like There are three types of communication: passive, assertive and aggressive. We do not always express ourselves in the same way, since it depends on the situation we find ourselves in and the person we are with, but we always tend in general terms towards one of those types of communication. The ideal is to reach the intermediate point between passive and aggressive communication, that is, be assertive.
If we tend not to express ourselves, perhaps because we are embarrassed to tell something to another person for fear of their response, we find ourselves in a passive communication profile and the consequence is that we allow what causes us discomfort to continue happening, since we are allowing happen. On the other hand, if we do not let the other person express themselves or do not take their vision into account, we tend towards an aggressive communication profile.
Therefore, assertive communication is totally necessary, expressing how we feel and what we need and always respecting the vision of the other This way we can continue to communicate properly and gain confidence in ourselves.
Is social support a protective factor in mental health?
Without a doubt, real and perceived social support is a factor that affects our mental health in a positive way, that is, it acts as a protector. Our self-concept is also formed by the feedback we receive from our environment, in this way we regulate what we believe about ourselves (subjective vision) with the vision that the environment does not provide (a more objective vision if it comes from an acceptable number of people of our immediate environment).
When we do not have people in our environment who listen to us, understand us or are by our side, supporting us in different ways, it is possible that in the face of adversity that we may encounter at some stage of our life, we suffer from depressive and anxious symptoms to a greater extent than if we had had social support.
To end…
If you identify with the aspects mentioned and would like to work on improving your communication style and your social skills, the psychologists at PsychoAlmería We can help you both online and in person.
