Social Health: What is it and why it's important.

An unexpected birthday barbecue with over 30 friends becomes a powerful reminder of the critical importance of social health alongside mental and physical wellbeing. Mark shares his personal experience of reconnecting with friends after months apart and explores how these connections provide essential emotional support, reduce loneliness, and create a meaningful sense of belonging.

• Social health involves building and maintaining interpersonal relationships and effectively navigating different social situations
• Strong social connections reduce feelings of loneliness, stress, anxiety and depression
• Friends provide emotional and practical support, helping build resilience during difficult times
• Shared laughter and planning future catch-ups creates anticipation
• The sense of belonging to a community significantly improves quality of life and life satisfaction

The challenge: Be the one to reach out and organise a catch-up with people you've been missing – it's worth the effort and it will fill your cup.

You matter, you're important, so be kind to yourself and be kind to those around you.

"If you or someone you know needs support, please contact one of these Australian mental health services. In an emergency, always call 000."

Lifeline Australia
Phone: 13 11 14 (24/7)
Web: lifeline.org.au

Suicide Call Back Service
Phone: [phone] (24/7)
Web: suicidecallbackservice.org.au

Beyond Blue
Phone: [phone] (24/7)
Web: beyondblue.org.au

Kids Helpline (for people aged 5-25)
Phone: [phone] (24/7)
Web: kidshelpline.com.au

MensLine Australia
Phone: [phone] (24/7)
Web: mensline.org.au

SANE Australia (complex mental health issues)
Phone: [phone] (10am-10pm AEST, Mon-Fri)
Web: sane.org

QLife (LGBTIQ+ support)
Phone: [phone] (3pm-midnight AEST)
Web: qlife.org.au

Open Arms (Veterans & Families Counselling)
Phone: [phone] (24/7)
Web: openarms.gov.au

1800RESPECT (sexual assault, domestic violence)
Phone: [phone] (24/7)
Web: 1800respect.org.au

Headspace (youth mental health, ages 12-25)
Phone: [phone] (9am-1am AEST)
Web: headspace.org.au

13YARN (Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander crisis support)
Phone: 13 92 76 (13YARN) (24/7)
Web: 13yarn.org.au

Music produced by Hayden Smith
https://www.haydensmith.com/

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to the Laughter Clinic Podcast with
comedian and suicidologist MarkMcConville, bringing you
practical, evidence-basedself-care strategies, the latest
research in mental health,along with conversations that
inspire, educate and entertain.
This is the Laughter ClinicPodcast with your host, mark

(00:26):
McConville.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
Hey folks, mark McConville, here and today I
want to have a quick chat withyou about social health and why
it's important.
So something happened on theweekend that I wasn't really
expecting, but I've got to tellyou it was fantastic.
So Saturday night had abirthday barbecue to go to in
the family and I went thereexpecting that there was going
to be maybe six or eight peoplethere.
It was going to be a prettyquiet affair, but in actual fact

(00:55):
when I got there there was like30 plus people, lots of friends
that I haven't seen in a longtime, and it was just incredible
.
You know, some of these peopleI might only see once or twice a
year and I've got to tell you.
Throughout the night I said toa few of my friends you have no
idea, I didn't realize how muchI needed this catch up with

(01:15):
everybody.
It really filled my cup andthey were the same.
They said you know, we gothrough our lives and before we
know it, you know, we're socaught up with everything we go.
Man, it's been months sincewe've caught up with anyone or
seen our friends, you know.
So it was really eye-openingsituation.
I personally didn't realise howmuch I needed that social

(01:36):
connection with everybody andbecause I do talk about this in
my laughter clinic presentationsmental health, physical health,
but social health is soincredibly important.
So what is it?
Well, it's basically theability to build but not only
build, but maintaininterpersonal relationships on
an ongoing basis and as youbuild your social health.

(01:58):
It gives you the ability tocommunicate effectively and
navigate different socialsituations.
Communicate effectively andnavigate different social
situations, which is a fantasticlife skill to have.
Why is it important?
Well, it's important for ourmental health because, firstly,
it reduces our sense ofloneliness, and increasing
social connectedness with otherpeople is very important.

(02:18):
It can reduce stress, anxietyand depression.
Obviously, if you suffer fromsocial anxiety disorder, well
then navigating a socialsituation is a challenge, but
for the vast majority of us,social situations with our
friends and family arepleasurable events and we have
these support networks that youknow.
When we're there with ourfriends, we realise that.

(02:41):
You know they offer usemotional and practical support
which helps us build resilience.
When we're that, you know theyoffer us emotional and practical
support which helps us buildresilience when we're going
through tough times, because weknow we're not alone.
We've got people that are inour corner to help us get
through.
And that sense of community isso incredibly important, like
that feeling of belongingness,you know, to a community of

(03:03):
friends or a sporting communityor whatever it is.
But having a sense of belongingto a community helps improve
quality of life and levels oflife satisfaction.
It really does.
There's been tons of researchto support all of that.
And how good is it when you'relaughing with your friends, you
get a group of friends that youshare this similar sense of

(03:24):
humour.
Oh man, we laughed on Saturdaynight about.
You know so many things.
And the other thing is is thatit encouraged us to future plan
catch-ups.
You know things to look forwardto.
You know, yes, let's organise agame of golf.
Yes, let's organise a campingtrip and let's make it happen
and have it be not months andmonths on end before between

(03:44):
catch-ups.
So that's the challenge forthis week If you've got people
in your life that you miss andthat you feel as though you know
, I really could do with asocial catch-up with everybody,
be the one to reach out andorganise it and make it happen.
It can be hard, granted, to geteverybody that you want to
catch up with in the same placeat the same time.
But if you stick with it andtry and organise it, you know

(04:07):
it's really.
You'll be amazed how well worthit it is.
It is so worth it.
It's worth the effort becauseit'll fill your cup it really
will.
My name's Mark McConville.
You matter, you're important,so be kind to yourself and be
kind to those around you.

Speaker 1 (04:25):
Thank you're important, so be kind to
yourself and be kind to thosearound you.
Thank you for listening.
The information contained inthis podcast is for educational
and entertainment purposes.
It is not intended, nor shouldit ever, replace advice received
from a physician or mentalhealth professional.
Want more info?
Visit thelaughtacliniccomau.
If you enjoyed the episode,please share and subscribe.
Thanks again for listening to aLaughter Clinic podcast with

(04:56):
your host, mark McConville.