Social Connection for Holistic Health

Long gone are the days where your body was treated as one thing and your mental health a completely separate thing. At Heal’r we are very much about diagnosing and treating your health from a holistic point of view; where all things are treated and considered as part of, rather than separate.

Recently we’ve seen an insurgence of research surrounding the topic of loneliness and its effect on our overall health and well-being. The results of some of this research are shocking! Some studies have found that lacking adequate social connection has a more negative effect on our lifespan than obesity, excessive alcohol consumption or lack of exercise. Other findings have been that experiencing loneliness can lead to health outcomes similar to consuming 15 cigarettes per day. So from all of his data what we are left with is this; how we engage socially has a direct impact on not only our mental health, but also on our physical health.

It's important to recognise that loneliness can be felt for various reasons, and it can present in many different forms, all unique to the person. You can have a great group of friends around you, but be feeling alone in your more intimate relationships, and vice versa. You may have a solid relationship and home life, but due to immigration or relocation you may feel really isolated away from the community you live and work in. All of these different types of social engagement play a role when looking at this picture, each is no co-dependant, and one can be strained while another strong and you may still feel lonely, and that’s OK.

The Heal’r studio is more than just a place you come to stretch and strengthen; it’s a community space (with Heal’r lattes on tap!). It’s a place where we gather together to grow as individuals, and as we do that we grow as a community. We love getting to know our students when coming in and out of classes or treatments, but we also love watching our students get to know each other and forming relationships. It's in these moments where you have the opportunity to fill up your social cup, to create and embrace community connection, and the best part is… you can do it all while sipping on the most delicious and healing Heal’r latte!