Studies show that there are significant and observable connections between “social capital and mental health.” Measurable reductions in depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms have been associated with “positive sense of community.” These positive outcomes for individuals engaging in community have been widely noted and include giving and receiving assistance, building trust, expanding support networks, creating a deeper sense of belonging, injecting purpose, and building positive and reliable connection. Access to these benefits make community building a necessary effort to improve overall mental health. Taking this leap can feel like a daunting task, particularly when starting from scratch. However, aiming to overcome this discomfort can be one of the more rewarding opportunities that this life has to offer. Below I will outline in more detail why pursuing community is worth the time and effort.

Support

Communities provide support. Support allows individuals to rely on others in vulnerable and rewarding ways. While people are not perfect and can disappoint this request for support, on occasion, the alternative is avoiding community all together. Avoiding community is extremely isolative and can create negative mental health outcomes including depression and anxiety. The Covid pandemic, for example, produced countless examples of these negative outcomes reinforcing that community engagement brings fulfillment to people everywhere. Community is a great way to establish support and reliance on others. Some reliance on others is a good way to reinforce faith in a community. It helps us know that we are not alone. Admitting that we need help can be uncomfortable. Asking for support is another challenge, a vulnerable one, that requires effort. These are challenging realizations and steps that can create fulfillment and connection with others. Support matters, it brings people together and is an integral piece in building a helpful community.

Belonging

Communities extend opportunities for belonging. Isolation creates a lack of belonging.  Belonging builds resilience and coping capacity during stress, and ultimately improves well-being. Self-esteem, values, and beliefs all are all benefits of engaging with belonging. Being around others, contributing talents, and offering support provides opportunities to belong. This is a staple of community and social health. If the Covid pandemic taught us anything, it is that isolation in large quantities with no timeframe for change can create significant challenges. While some may find social engagement more exhausting than stimulating, humans simply need it for healthy outcomes. Efforts to increase social engagement through community improves belonging.

Purpose

Communities and people provide natural purpose. Community engagement and willing participation provides a distinctive opportunity and can allow you to offer your unique and specific skills within the very community that you may subscribe to. The subsequent engagement in sharing these skills not only allows you to show up for people in your community system but it also is an opportunity to grow individually. This is a natural reward that presents itself from the utilization of your skills and expertise as a part of a community at large. Purpose increases emotional, psychological, and mental wellbeing. Pursuing a purposeful existence is a rewarding leap and worth the effort, and communities are great ways to find this purpose.

Finding Community

Establishing a relevant community can be challenging, uncomfortable, and can even feel risky; so where do you begin? Identifying values, beliefs, and needs is a critical step that helps the process get started. Simply exploring these areas can provide the motivation to move forward and take the leap toward establishing a community that works for you. When you can better understand yourself, it will support opportunities to connect with people more genuinely, particularly people that have similar interests. This is an accessible starting point and can build confidence in building a deeper community in time.

Community involvement provides a sense of belonging and social connectedness that we do not get when we are isolated from others. It also offers a significant opportunity to find purpose and meaning while exercising our unique set of skills. We need support, and building a community can expand that network of support while giving the same to others.

If this process sounds like something you are interested in learning more about or engaging in, please don’t hesitate to reach out and we can begin this journey together. Building a community can be challenging but it doesn’t hurt to have support along the way.