Who do you turn to for support during the journey to reach your goals?
Social support, as defined by Wikipedia, is the “physical and emotional comfort given to us by our family, friends, co-workers and others. It is knowing that we are part of a community of people who love and care for us, and value and think well of us.”
Evidence has shown that when a person feels that they have support from those around them, they often experience reduced stress, a greater sense of emotional health and well-being, and are more likely to accomplish the goals or tasks that they want to achieve. Surrounding yourself with people who are supportive and provide encouragement is critical. Through a supportive network of friends, you’ll have others to turn to when you are in need of tips or advice or simply want to celebrate a small accomplishment.
This is exceptionally important when you are trying to make lifestyle or behavioral changes such as losing weight or establishing healthy eating habits. Anyone who has tried to lose weight is familiar with just how difficult this can be, so where do you look to begin building your supportive network?
We all have our close friends and family that we can turn to, but don’t forget about the opportunities outside of your current everyday contacts. The Internet, particularly social networking sites, blogs or discussion boards have become increasingly popular as a means of social support. There are hundreds of sites and groups for almost any interest, all of which are supported by people who interact with one another.
Share your updates on Twitter or write about your accomplishments in a community on LiveJournal. Leverage channels such as these to locate others who have similar aspirations. Use them to build your supportive network and offer encouragement to others as they pursue their own journey to a healthier life. After all, that is what many of these channels and groups are about - engaging users, encouraging participation, and providing relevant information. Share your accomplishments. Those around you will feed off of your successes and vice versa and even express the difficult times or obstacles that you are being faced with.
Knowing that others are going through the same thing or have likely experienced something similar can be helpful. Embrace the support provided and let this help you to become a happier healthier you.