Why We Need Each Other

I learned about the importance of Social Support when I was studying for my Precision Nutrition Certification. There was a Social Support Questionnaire that was part of our client intake packet. Social Support was listed as one of the most critical factors in someone’s nutritional/behavior change success. I figured having support was helpful, but I did not realize it was at the top of the list. So much so in fact, that if we determined a client did not have Social Support, it was one of our top priorities as a coach to help them establish it.

So now you may be wondering – what is Social Support and do I have it? Social Support is defined as, “having a network of people that support your endeavors, contribute positively to your decision-making processes, and are there for you when you need help.” Said in another way, “who you are today and who you become in the future has a lot to do with whom you choose to spend your time.”

Here are some questions from the Social Support questionnaire, each of which would be assigned a number value that you would tally at the end:

1. Do the people with whom you spend each day (at work at home) follow lifestyle habits such as exercising regularly and watching what they eat?
2. When you want to perform some physical activity such as going for a walk or a hike, is it easy for you to find a partner to go with you?
3. At your workplace, do coworkers regularly bring in donuts, cookies and other snacks?
4. Do you belong to any club, group or teams that meet at least twice a week and do some physical exercise?
5. When discussing nutrition and exercise goals with your friends, do they seem interested in getting on board, or do they think you are crazy?

Based on your number of the survey you would be told if you have a support network, and if not, how much it is lacking. If you don’t have a support network and you want to effect positive healthy change in your life, it is critical to get one into place. This can be belonging to a FaceBook group, a supportive coworker, a supportive spouse, a neighborhood group with whom you can meet, and/or regularly attending fitness classes such as our classes at Your Best Self. You want to surround yourself with people who care about you, encourage positive steps, and miss you when you don’t engage. The solution can be different for each person so let us know if you need help coming up with ideas (it’s what we do a Heath Coaches). And remember, we are better together and we need each other.  Studies show that it’s important you make this concept a priority if you want to succeed. So come to a class, show up for a session, check out our Facebook page, and let’s do this together!