Your Tribe Matters: The Importance of Building a Supportive Community
Why Does Having a Community Matter to Our Health?
Every human being craves connection and belonging. It’s biologically wired into us. Even if you claim to be “anti-social” or an introvert, I would bet you still find belonging in your own type of “tribe”. Humans are social creatures and have been since the beginning of time. In an age where everyone is connected online it’s more important now than ever to find a supportive “tribe”, or community that you can rely on.
The Human Need for Belonging
It is scientifically proven that being part of a community reduces stress, depression, and helps a person grow mentally. Isolation drastically affects a person's mental health. It can lead to depression and increased anxiety. This is because having no support system, and no one to talk to about your problems, allows your issues to fester and grow worse.
The Benefits of a Supportive Tribe
Having a supportive tribe can help you deal with your issues, validate you, and help to give your life meaning. It provides you with a group of people to hold you accountable and to push you to be better. Having a tribe also lets you get exposure to a new group of ideas and perspectives diversifying your thought process. Not to mention, community provides all the support in times of need you can get, like when you are moving or dealing with a family emergency.
How to Build Your Tribe
Look for a group of people that share similar interests, lifestyle habits, or beliefs. Invest in the relationships you make and offer your help to others. Be vulnerable and authentic to build deeper connections and it will make people want to trust you more. Find mentors, peers, and mentees for a balanced support system with a diverse group of ideas and opinions. To find your tribe, use social media, or join a local club or group. For me personally I found my tribe by joining a fraternity, playing sports, and being a part of religious groups.
When Your Tribe Isn’t Supportive
Some warning signs of an unsupportive tribe are constant negativity, always breaking you down, and excluding you from group activities. If your tribe isn’t building you up, and are instead dragging you down, you need to cut them off. Letting go of relationships is hard, even toxic ones, but it is imperative to do so to have a better life for yourself. Always seek spaces that hold you accountable, but also encourage you, and make you feel safe and supported.
Conclusion: Finding Strength in Community
Life is hard and you shouldn’t go through it alone. Finding your tribe is important for you to grow as a person, and to stay sane. I ask you, the reader, to reflect on your current community. Do they build you up? Or do they break you down? If the answer is yes to the latter, find a new group that will support you.
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About Two Roads Wellness Clinic®
Two Roads Wellness Clinic® is an integrative wellness clinic. We truly believe in whole-person wellness and see more than just a list of symptoms.
At Two Roads Wellness Clinic®, we want you to experience the difference of personalized health care. We’re an integrative health clinic offering a vast array of services including, mental health treatments such as EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), family therapy, medication management, primary care, integrative nutritional support, personalized health reports and precision medicine with DNA testing, weight management program, life coaching, massage therapy, physical therapy, infrared sauna services, community education and outreach, and more.
The Two Roads Wellness Clinic® team of therapists, medical and nutrition staff, massage therapists, life coaches, physical therapists, and emotional support animals are ready to help you find an integrated approach to your wellness. To schedule an appointment, visit our contact page to get started at one of our convenient locations in Champaign, Danville, Mahomet or Covington, or learn more about Online Therapy and Medical Sessions.
Like the Robert Frost poem our name is based on, we want to help you find the path that makes a difference in YOUR life.
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by.
And that has made all the difference.”Robert Frost, “The Road Not Taken”
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