Social support 

Definition

Increasingly, there is a recommendation to turn to other people for help in dealing with burnout. Social support is an individuals’ perception or experience in terms of being involved in a social group where people mutually support each other ¹ 

Social support can be found within both the workplace (colleagues, mentors, supervisors) and home (family, friends, neighbors). It can take many forms, including assistance, feedback, emotional comfort, encouragement, recognition, and humor.

There is growing research evidence to show that actively connecting to others in positive and compassionate ways increases individual resilience².Benefits are multiple and include mutual appreciation and togetherness; recharging batteries and acquiring a sense of vitality; and positive physiological changes associated with the experience of well-being. 

How it works

There are several things you can do to improve social relationships. Three useful things to do are:

• map and strengthen your social networks (i.e. you can assess the social resources available to you, and identify areas where they could be strengthened);
• improve problematic or strained relationships (i.e. by having more fun together, by showing attention and interest, by offering support or showing trust);
• respond actively and constructively to others, instead of passively and negatively; if a friend tells you about something good that has happened, the best way to answer is by showing authentic, enthusiastic support (e.g., “That’s Tell me more! When did this happen? How are you feeling?”) That will make a real difference to so many people. 

Resources for self-directed practice:

• A scientific article on social support skill-training group