...or how you can consciously maintain and strengthen your social relationships and thus take care of yourself.
It's dark when Anna gets up in the morning and when she falls into bed at 10 p.m., completely exhausted. In between lies a day during which she rushes from one to-do to the next (but the to-do list doesn't seem to want to get any shorter): At the end of the year, there are still various project deadlines in the office. Pre-Christmas appointments are piling up in the private diary - there is hardly an evening or weekend that is spared from the flood of appointments. Then there's the need to buy presents for friends, colleagues and family or at least give them a little treat before Christmas. The apartment needs to be decorated. Christmas dinner needs to be planned.
The Anna here in this blog is pure fiction. But aren't we all a little Anna? Don't you know the feeling of simply not having enough time, energy or resources at the end of the year?
Two things in particular suffer from this: We see very few people outside the office and our own four walls. And we move much less than on warmer days. Is that the case for you too?
How social contact is good for us - instead of stressing us out even more
Yet social Self-care especially important during the often very intense pre-Christmas period? And wouldn't Christmas be the time of year when we set ourselves the goal of spending quality time with those closest to us?
But wait! What exactly is meant by social self-care?
Social self-care refers to the conscious cultivation and maintenance of healthy social relationships and interactions for the benefit of one's own well-being. It is about actively seeking out relationships that are supportive, fulfilling and conducive to one's emotional balance. Social self-care is crucial as relationships have a significant impact on emotional wellbeing. Maintaining your contacts should not lead to additional time pressure. Rather, being with others should reduce stress.
"Mir luege zu dir": Our tips for social self-care
All right. Let's assume you're like Anna: your to-do list is long, the days are short and your energy reserves are empty. How is consciously maintaining social relationships supposed to work in "this state"? "I'm lying to you" and would like to give you some ideas below on how you can maintain your relationships. As we from the "Frauenlauf" team are convinced that sport creates an ideal framework for maintaining and sustainably strengthening social contacts, our tips revolve around a sporting get-together.
But please note: the points described are all suggestions and should not be seen as to-dos that you can add to your already far too long list. In general, we would like to remind you how important it is to consciously take a step back from time to time - no matter how long your to-do list is. True to the motto of Baloo, the Jungle Book bear:
"Try cosiness for a change
With peace and comfort
Do you dispel all your worries..."
But if you feel like it, why not try...
...group activitiesJoin group activities that suit your interests. This could be a team sport or even a running team, but also a dance class or a yoga group. This way you can combine social interaction with physical activity. And maybe even meet new people with similar interests.
...find training partners: Look for a training partner with whom you can exercise regularly. Training together gives you the opportunity to spend time together and motivate each other.
...sporting activities in the family: Whether with your children, your parents, cousins, aunts, etc.: A shared sporting adventure can become a bonding, social experience. Bike tours, hikes, a day of skiing together, a visit to the climbing park or a dance lesson together - these are all great ways to spend time with your loved ones and keep moving at the same time.
...Common (sporting) goals: How about a sporting goal that you share with someone close to you? Even if you don't meet up regularly in person, you can track each other's progress thanks to fitness apps. This way, you and your (sports) friends can motivate each other, measure your progress and the topic of conversation for the next coffee is already set.
...joint outdoor activities: Organize meetings with your friends that focus on sporting activities such as sledging, snowshoeing, ice skating or simply a winter walk. These activities promote social interaction and offer the opportunity to be active outdoors at the same time.
