Forming a connection to community has several positive mental and physical health benefits including a feeling of belonging and increased immunity. Learn more about the benefits of community, how the diversity of your community impacts your wellbeing and ideas on how to connect below.
The meaning of community
According to Oxford Languages, community is having certain attitudes and interests in common or a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common. You can find a sense of belonging in several different groups or communities, all of which build your sense of identity and understanding of the world.
Benefits of community
Social connection and a feeling of belonging significantly affects both physical and mental health. Recent studies have shown feeling lonely has similar serious physical symptoms in the body as obesity and smoking cigarettes. Loneliness also correlates to poor sleep, increased blood pressure, dementia, mental illness and unfortunately, premature death.
Just connecting to one person a day can help combat these negative effects!
Being part of a community helps us understand others and ourselves better. It allows us the opportunity to learn new perspectives, feel empowered and supported by others, contribute towards a common goal, and build meaningful relationships.
Along with this, it allows us the chance to give back to others in our community, supporting them as they have done for us. We have the opportunity to contribute and have a positive impact on our peers.
The diversity of your communities also has a direct correlation to your happiness and wellbeing. Having connections to more groups can provide more opportunities, a deeper understanding of the world, new knowledge, new interest and more.
Building a diverse and inclusive community also provides a sense of unity between cultures, identities and groups, building empathy and resilience.
Finding your communities
There are several ways to start connecting to your local and global communities. Write down a list of your interests, passions and activities you love to do. You can then either ask around in your existing communities to see if anyone knows of any clubs or groups you can join, or start researching online.
A few ideas of communities include:
- Sports clubs, gyms and studios
- Cultural organisations
- Political or activist organisations
- LGBTQIA+ groups
- School or training
- Work
- Friends
- Family members
- Volunteering
- Online forums or groups
- Hobby groups – art, cooking, gaming, books, wellness, music and much more.
WISE Employment has been proud to be working with our communities for 30 years. We believe that the entire community is enriched when everyone is supported to achieve their potential. And we’ve seen firsthand how positively impacting one person results in a more positive outcome for their family, friends, local groups and beyond.
Learn about WISE’s commitment to, and celebrations of, our community.