Info Series Part 2: Social Contacs
With the help of social interactions, we not only learn various skills. We also experience recognition and affection through verbal and especially nonverbal messages. This makes social contacts important factors influencing human health. However, people differ in how many social interactions they feel comfortable with.
In today's world, social contacts take place in a wide variety of ways, both at work and at home. At the same time, each and every employee has habits in social interaction that are shaped by the workplace situation and by individual preferences.
If the workplace situation changes, it also makes sense to think about the design of social contacts - for example, if home office is practiced or working hours change due to flexible design.
Reflect on which forms of social interaction you mostly use in your everyday work and which are most important to you: - How do I distribute or receive work assignments? - How do I discuss work progress and results? - How do I get support for questions and challenges in everyday work? - How do I also exchange information informally with colleagues? - Do I also maintain private contacts with colleagues?
For your own well-being, it may also be worthwhile to look at your private situation as well as your professional one. Changes at work can also have an impact on private contacts and relationships.
Reflect on which forms of social interaction are most important to you in your private life: - What space do partnership and/or family occupy? - What is the importance of friendships - how close is the contact? - What about contact with my neighbors and acquaintances? - Do I like to be active together with friends and acquaintances - for example, in sports? - Do I have hobbies that I share or exchange with others (clubs, game nights, VHS courses,...)?
Building on the clarification of which interactions are particularly important to you, it is important to find alternatives to adapt social contact to changing situations.
Here are a few suggestions:
Here are a few suggestions:
- Surely you use the usual communication channels via telephone and e-mail. It helps to arrange fixed times for regular phone calls with your team. On the one hand, for exchanges about work-related topics within the scope of the job. On the other hand, perhaps additionally for informal, collegial exchange during break times or after work.
- For digital exchanges, it is important to think very carefully in advance about which topics and which questions should be discussed. This is because the short exchange in between for small follow-up questions may be omitted.
- In telephone conversations, for example, non-verbal communication is missing - this level of communication should not be underestimated in terms of its importance. Here it can help to verbalize the missing nonverbal messages if necessary. In some cases, you can prevent misunderstandings if you also express your feelings about an issue.
- Video conferencing and video telephony programs (Adobe Connect, Skype, WhatsApp,...) also enable you to exchange nonverbal messages in a professional and private context. However, inform yourself about the data security of the programs.
- A sense of community can also be created at a distance, for example, if you agree to participate in a digital activity with friends and then talk about it later. Currently, there are various offers, such as the sports courses of the university sports, concerts via livestream, music lessons via Youtube, digital church services ...
- Maybe you would like to digitize your game night? There are also online versions of various analog board games. You can play these online with friends or even strangers and exchange ideas via chat.
Sometimes one is in situations where social exchange is temporarily not possible to the desired extent or quality for various reasons. This can have an impact on one's mood and well-being.
Here are a few suggestions of what you might try then:
- Think about what you like to do. Maybe there are things that have been forgotten? What of the things you currently or even previously enjoyed doing (puzzles, painting, cooking, crocheting, etc.) could you now implement?
- Perhaps there is a hobby you have not been able to do because of time constraints? (Learning to play an instrument, learning to knit, reading an interesting book, yoga,...) Then look for an online tutorial, instruction on DVD or a self-learning book.
- Try to increase your sense of well-being. For example, at home create a pleasant atmosphere with music, beautifully set table, flowers, or the like.
- If it is pleasant for you, you can extend the time for everyday actions. You may be able to run small errands on foot instead of by car.
- Exercise and fresh air have been shown to stabilize mood. Go for a walk or jog outside, stand by an open window,...
- Many people associate numerous activities, such as cooking or going for a walk, with socializing in everyday life. Then it seems unusual to do this only for oneself. This can diminish one's own enjoyment of these undertakings. Nevertheless, such activities can be better for the mood than doing without them.
- Often phases in which one has less direct personal contact are temporary. Accepting this and still taking good care of yourself will get you through such phases well.