Edwards-Stewart suggests that perceived social support, or an individual’s perception of how and whether friends, family, and other resources are available to them in times of need, is a contributing factor to these factors. Said to be one.
“Support from social networks is seen as an important factor that can help in times of need when perceived social support is high, and can be a hindrance when perceived social support is low. Yes,” she said.
“In fact, people with higher perceived social support have fewer mental health concerns, or even if they do have mental health concerns, they are admitted to mental health treatment more quickly than those with low perceived social support.” There are studies that show it gets better,” she said.
Riggs said: “This may be especially important for our military community, which frequently faces the challenge of maintaining social connections, such as deployments, job changes, family moves, temporary assignments, and other challenges that are relatively common in military life. Many common events can disconnect us from social systems and make it difficult to maintain relationships.”
“Social support not only facilitates recovery from traumatic events, but has repeatedly been shown to have a positive relationship with resilience and coping in the face of stress, reduced depression, and overall health.” said Riggs. “Furthermore, the loss, or even the threat of loss, of social relationships can lead to crises such as depression and suicide.”
Being socially fit contributes to the Total Force Fitness framework by encouraging a holistic approach to health.
“Each element of the Total Force Fitness framework is critical to the health, readiness and resiliency of service members and their families,” Riggs said. “Personally, I believe that social adaptability is one of, if not the, key to overall well-being because social connections are so fundamental to humans. That’s what I think.
“Maintaining healthy relationships provides opportunities for emotional growth and interaction, learning, and support,” Riggs said.
Edwards Stevens says: “People who believe that there are people who care about them and are willing to help them are better able to cope with stress when it arises.”
Similarly, this can promote resilience, which is important for service members and their families because there are many aspects of military life that can create or increase stress, Riggs explained.
“Being resilient reflects the ability to bounce back and continue to function effectively in the face of such stress,” he said.
Riggs explained that while the exact mechanisms by which social support promotes resilience are not precisely understood, several possibilities have been suggested.
“In some cases, support can be practical. A friend might give you a ride if you don’t have access to a car, or lend you a few dollars. In other cases, friends and family can provide emotional support. They also give me a place to vent when I’m feeling frustrated. And strong relationships also give me the opportunity to explore and discuss potential solutions to problems I’m facing.” he said.
Riggs also explained that there is no magic formula for achieving social fitness, much like how military personnel achieve physical fitness through healthy eating and exercise.
“Successfully and constructively engaging with the world’s people requires continually building and honing skills such as communication and problem-solving skills, and applying these skills in different ways to different relationships. There needs to be a recognition that it needs to be applied,” he explained. “So the way I interact with my spouse is different than the way I interact with my children, the way I interact with my co-workers, and the way I interact with my boss.
“It’s not enough to simply learn a set of skills; you need to know how and when to apply those skills in specific situations.
“In addition to the basic skills needed to facilitate social interaction, social adaptability requires a special attitude,” Riggs says. “Successful and fruitful social relationships require people to accept, respect, and trust each other.
“Furthermore, relationships become even better when people involved empathize with each other,” he added. “So being able to see the other person’s perspective, share their feelings, and work to alleviate their distress can help build and strengthen a sense of connection and healthy relationships.”
Edwards Stevens said: I encourage military members to pay attention to the quality of their relationships.
“If they feel their marriage is negative, spend time improving it. If they don’t have a social life, go out and find a group of people with similar interests. “And try to get along as best you can, even if your co-workers find it difficult,” she recommended.