Social support is a vital aspect of our lives, and we often experience it in small, meaningful ways. Every time you got a nice hot soup for a friend who was ill, every time your dad dropped you off at school because you missed your school bus, or every time your friend shared their tiffin with you because you forgot your own, a certain kind of social support was shown by you or towards you.

As for mental well-being, it can be defined as "a state of well-being in which an individual realises his or her abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and can contribute to their community” [WHO]. To put it simply, the highest state of mental well-being is attained when an individual can cope with difficult situations and perform at their highest potential.

This means it’s not the absence of difficulties contributing to mental well-being, but rather your willingness to face challenges and seek support. For instance, after a painful breakup, reaching out to a close friend or sibling to cry and vent can have a calming effect. By expressing your emotions and accepting the situation, you engage in a coping process. This internal motivation to move forward enables you to cope effectively and begin healing.

This is where social support comes into the picture. Your friend or sibling who sat with you heard you, made you comfortable, and provided you with emotional support.

Likewise, there are various kinds of social support

1. Emotional support

As we have seen, listening and empathizing with someone come under emotional support, these can also include a nice affectionate hug or encouraging pats on the back.

2. Esteem support

This would include boosting someone’s confidence when they are being low. This would also include being someone’s cheerleader. For instance,

• Remember when you were a kid and came first in a race or dance competition and your parents were cheering for you throughout, this is them being your cheerleader.

• Another instance would be when you were tensed for your exams and your friends helped you with revising the syllabus, thus reminding you that you already know most of it. This is also esteem support.

3. Information support

Informational support is like teaching someone something, advising them, or mentoring them. I’ll give you a few instances:

• Remember the time in college when your friend taught you the whole syllabus the night before exams

• Also, any kind of financial, legal, and career advice you got from your parents, teachers, or mentors is also information support.

4. Tangible support

Often known as instrumental support, this kind is taking on duties to assist another person in solving a problem. Additionally, it might entail actively helping someone deal with a problem they are experiencing.

I’ll give you a few instances:

• Remember, in college when you didn’t have money for food, and your friend paid for your food, this was a kind of tangible support.

• Another instance could be when you were postpartum, and your mom cleaned the house, prepared food for you, and took care of your newborn child so you could rest, this was again tangible support.

Social support in general enhances the quality of life. The feeling that ‘’I have someone to fall back on’’ or the trust that I will always have someone taking care of me when I am in need makes us feel much more confident in life, which enables us to take on more challenges and further cope. I’ll explain.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we were afraid to leave our homes, rigorously cleaning everything we brought inside. However, this changed once vaccines became available. As we got vaccinated, the pandemic subsided, and we could go out without stress. Had we not trusted science and vaccines, we likely would not have overcome this deadly global crisis. Scientists and their knowledge were the cushion that supported us in fighting the pandemic. By believing in them, we were able to emerge from this challenging period.

Social support works similarly; it reduces stress, makes us feel relaxed and resilient, and makes our lives easier. After all, we would always be thankful to the doctors who saved our lives and our social circle who made it worth living. I am not saying that you can't live alone; that is a topic for some other day, but the people who love us and care for us are the cherry on top; they make it better!

As for where you can seek social support, we have already seen a lot of examples. Your friends, family, and all of your social circle, who have a positive impact on you and who make you feel comfortable and happy rather than stressed and anxious, are your source of support.

Lack of social support can also lead to a lot of disorders, like stress-induced diabetes, high or low blood pressure, major depressive disorder, and addiction. So it is very necessary to check on our very own people, but also remember that you can never pour water from an empty jug, so please, before you worry about others or care about them, care about yourself. 

For professional support, reach out to a therapist at Heart It Out today!