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5 benefits of belonging to a community

Whether its online or offline, being an active part of a community is a great feeling – it means knowing that you’re surrounded by people who share your values, interests or passions. If you’ve been feeling isolated or are looking for more inspiration, a challenge or a change, joining or creating a community could be just the kickstart you need. Here are five reasons to put yourself out there and start making meaningful connections.
26th April 2021

Here are just a handful of the benefits of belonging to a community:

1) Move out of your comfort zone

Being part of a community brings with it new ideas, fresh perspectives and encouragement to try things in new or different ways. Your comfort zone can shrink when you stick to the same routines or spend a lot of time on your own, and old or bad habits can become really hard to budge. Allowing others to give you a gentle nudge when you’re part of a safe and supportive community can help you to break out of your comfort zone and leave behind your entrenched behaviours.

Community and health

2) Make a big impact

When you’re a part of a community of like-minded people who hold similar values to your own, there’s really no limit to what you can achieve for your local area – including your local stores you might like to shop in. Whether you’re wanting to clean up your local environment or create better support networks for people experiencing similar health issues to your own, doing it as a part of a community is far more impactful than trying to go it alone – and celebrating when you’ve achieved what you set out to do is far more fun with others by your side!
 

3) Support for your mental health

Like any other aspect of your health, mental health requires tending to on a regular basis. At Fusion we’re big fans of activities like meditation, yoga and qigong for their mental health benefits – but they can be quite solitary pursuits, and feeling isolated can be problematic for many people.

On the other hand, being actively involved in a community of people with similar interests and mindsets can help to create a healthier state of mind and increase feelings of self-worth, plus it benefits your mental health and emotional wellbeing.1

Community and mental health

4) Achieve your health goals

Working towards your health goal in a group of folk with a similar focus can help to keep you accountable while also being fun and supportive. In a group you can swap clever ideas, troubleshoot and celebrate wins together.

If you’ve been feeling isolated doing at-home workouts, it might be a good time to connect with an exercise group in your local community to set up some group health goals and work towards achieving them together. If you’re not sure where to start, ask for guidance from one of the friendly naturopaths at your local health food store. Click here for help finding your nearest health food store.

Exercise for health

5) Make friends and have fun

Don’t forget to have fun with your community buddies! Setting aside some time in your week for fun, exploration, play, and creativity without fear of judgment is just as valuable as any of the other above benefits. Being free to play and be creative is also linked to cognitive and mental health benefits because it helps to create new neural pathways in the brain and decreases stress.2

It can be tough to put yourself out there and find your community, but tougher still is going it alone. Whether you’re trying a brand new activity or you’ve had your interests for a long time and want to share them with a group, belonging to a community can take your interests and goals to a whole new level.

 

References:

  1. Head to Health. Last updated July 2019,  accessed April 2021 from https://headtohealth.gov.au/meaningful-life/connectedness/community#:~:text=Being%20part%20of%20a%20community,and%20purpose%20to%20everyday%20life.
  2. Shors TJ, et al. Behaviour Brain Research 2012;227(2):450-458.