FLIPSIDE OF MIDLIFE®️: NOT THAT KIND OF SOCIAL
What comes to mind when you hear the word 'social'? If your brain immediately goes to Instagram, Facebook, or another favorite flavor of social media, don't miss a beat, my friend. You need what's inside this episode!
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I'm Karli Newman and you're listening to FLIPSIDE OF MIDLIFE®️, a podcast for women in midlife and beyond who want to feel connected, hopeful, confident, and more satisfied with life than ever before.
I'm here each week to help you deepen your awareness and gain knowledge to expand into the powerful and resilient woman you are.
One of my greatest joys is to help you foster a positive mindset. From there, you can explore the endless possibilities on the FLIPSIDE OF MIDLIFE®️.
I invite you to sign up for my feel-good emails and visit my website, flipsideofmidlife.com, where you'll find all the ways I help women in midlife and beyond. I'm launching my ELEVATE membership soon, and you can peruse my coaching programs, virtual workshops, and private retreats, as well as my wellness events in Phoenix.
Wherever you are on your journey in midlife and beyond, there's a space for you to tap into my positive vibes, knowledge, and experience. I'm grateful for you tuning in!
In midlife and beyond it can change your life to focus on whole-life wellness. The lifestyle that evolves from this focus helps you feel more satisfied and hopeful than you probably think possible.
In March, I'm focusing on key elements to help you nurture a wellness lifestyle that is well-rounded and unique to you. If you missed the last few episodes, go back and listen in!
As you well know, life is not a solitary journey. Your social connections play an important role in your well-being. Here in midlife and beyond, they can make or break not only your emotional health but your physical health, too.
Take a second to consider the various social connections in your life. Think of a casual encounter at the grocery store, the barista who knows your order when you walk in the door, the coworkers you see daily, and the close friends you lean on.
The different levels of social connection you experience each impact your overall wellness. Maybe you haven't thought of it before, but it's not only your deep friendships and close relationships that make up your social wellness.
With everything else going on in your life, it might feel overwhelming to layer on a focus that involves other people. Don't you worry, my friend. I'm here with a few easy ways you can enhance your social wellness to feel a greater sense of overall well-being.
Now's a good time to grab your journal, notebook, or favorite app, and have it close by. You may want to take some notes in the next few minutes. If you aren't in a space to take notes, listen through to the end. I'll drop the time marker in the show notes and transcript for you, so you'll be able to come right back here when you are ready.
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The first easy way you can enhance your social wellness is to lead with kindness.
Whether it's complimenting a stranger, offering assistance, or using someone's name, small acts of kindness can lead to big unexpected connections and brighten someone's day. Not only their day but your day too. It may come as a surprise, but being kind feels just as good as receiving kindness.
Make it a game to notice the opportunities to extend kindness to others. And make sure to acknowledge the kindness that comes your way.
A second easy way to enhance your social wellness is to notice opportunities.
Be mindful of when you are in group settings or interacting with another human being. A lot of the time, we're just going through life and not noticing the opportunities right in front of us. Instead of keeping to yourself, try making eye contact, smiling, or saying hello. These are easy actions that communicate that you are open and friendly. They feel good too, for you and for the recipient.
Be aware of the different levels of social connection in your life and understand that all of them can make a difference in your overall well-being.
When you're mindful of noticing the opportunities, you'll be amazed at how many are really out there.
A third easy way to enhance your social wellness is to filter out negativity.
As you interact with others, notice any tendencies that they may have to complain, gossip, vent, or get stuck on the negative side of things. And notice those same tendencies in yourself, too.
When you find yourself there, choose to redirect the conversation or change the subject, or, if you have to, remove yourself from the situation.
Take note and engage with others who are positive. Interact with those who make it easy for you to be positive, too.
And a fourth easy way to enhance your social wellness is to extend invitations more often.
Going on a coffee run? Ask a coworker to go with you. Meet a friend for lunch during the week. When you learn a bit about an acquaintance, ask if they'd like to meet up for a bike ride. Maybe you have a neighbor who would like to walk through the neighborhood with you. Do you have errands to run? Ask someone to join you.
This might take a bit more effort on your part, but many times you're already doing something, so why not do it with someone else?
Of course, it's important to protect the space and time you need for yourself, so don't fill up all of your time with socializing. Strike your happy balance and focus on high-quality, positive social connections. Your wellness will get a boost and you'll be fostering connections at every level.
To recap, social connection is an important part of your wellness.
It's not only the deep friendships and relationships that you have either. The one-time casual interactions also make a difference in your overall well-being.
I encourage you to lead with kindness, notice opportunities, filter out negativity, and extend invitations to boost your social wellness and experience how it creates shifts in all areas of your life.
Like any wellness tool, getting used to them takes practice. It takes creating habits and it takes awareness.
Your unique wellness lifestyle is coming together beautifully, my friend. Please reach out to me at karli@flipsideofmidlife.com to share what resonates with you most in this or any of my episodes. After all, us women in midlife and beyond? We are in this together!
Thanks for listening to FLIPSIDE OF MIDLIFE®️.
Will you help other women in midlife and beyond find this podcast? Please tell your friends or take a moment to follow, subscribe, rate, or write a review. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate it.
I'll be back next week, my friends. Right here. Same place. Same time.
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