Relational
Relational
Relational wellness involves living in such a way that we are consistently connecting with others in healthy and life-giving ways that enrich our lives and give us a sense of belonging. We are not meant to live lives that are isolated and disconnected from those around us. Rather, we are meant to be in relationships that mutually offer love, support and safety, yet demonstrate healthy and appropriate boundaries. Forgiveness is the deeper virtue of relational wellness, as it enables us to be released from being bound to those who have wounded us, so that we are not stuck in a pattern of withholding love and affection but are able to freely give to and receive from others.
It is a strange time in our world to discuss what it means to cultivate healthy and close relationships with those in our lives. For we are relational, social human beings who daily have to foster intentional ways to stay socially distant and isolated from one another. The stress of living in a time of history that will forever be marked by words such as pandemic, masks, and staying 6 feet apart, is taking a toll on us all. It is draining to most of us.
Before coming to work at Rise Studios, I was an educational liaison, so I would go into different schools and meet one on one with the same students every week. These were children of all ages who shared one thing in common – they were all in the foster care system. There are so many aspects I could share about what it was like to build a supportive relationship with these amazing kids.
I would sit across the table from him or her, and over time our relational rapport was built upon. We would talk and laugh, and I would listen to their struggles and dreams for a better future. I taught one boy in middle school how to paint when he was feeling overwhelmed. We then sat back and marveled together at the stunning picture he painted. One filled with incredible pain, but also incredible hope. I got to see the glimmer in his eyes as he realized he could engage in creative outlets to help him express all that he felt due to growing up without his biological family.
I once brought a red balloon to a girl in 4th grade on the anniversary date of when her beloved father died of a heart attack. She wrote a note to her father, tied it to the balloon, and after going out to the empty playground, she sent it off into the sky. We shed tears and believed together in that moment it would reach all the way to heaven and find its home in her father’s hands.
As the session with each student ended, I would high five the older boys and give warm hugs to the little girls who would ask for such a nurturing hug every time before shuffling off to class again. We would wave and I would always say, see you next week!
Coronovirus put an end to all of that.
I went from seeing the students for an hour every week, to occasionally talking on the phone to him or her after the school’s shut down. The conversations were short, stilted and so not the same as being across the table from one another.
Those of us at Rise Studios care about the health and wellbeing of each of you, and that of course includes being respectful and aware of the need for continued social distancing for the time being. But it also includes caring about your relational and emotional health and well-being, and knowing that being overly afraid, isolated, and disconnected from one another is not healthy or sustainable moving forward.
How do we balance the need for physical distance with the much deeper, pervasive need to be socially together, connecting, and being filled back up again by feeling seen and heard and loved?
How we each answer that may be different, but one thing that applies to all of us is that it does not mean we stop investing in our health and well-being. Now, more than ever perhaps, is a time to pay attention to what we need so that we can persevere through the upcoming months of unchartered territory.
Many people who come to Rise Studios say the same phrase. It’s so peaceful in here! There is a quiet feel here, a sense of being in a sanctuary where you can just exhale and be. Where you can receive instead of being the one who always gives and gives and is now empty and depleted. We want you to know that we are here to offer you relational support, community, and services that can provide you with the self-care you need. We will sit across the table from you and hopefully laugh and talk. We will get to share moments of growth and success with you as you invest in your health and wellness.
You are worth the investment.
As you begin to reflect upon your own satisfaction or dissatisfaction in the relational area of wellness in your life, I encourage you to work through this process:
1. Honesty: Be honest with yourself about how unhappy, happy, satisfied or dissatisfied you are in this area of your life. How is that impacting other areas of your life? (whether in positive or negative ways).
2. Willingness: Be willing and open to seeking help and support as a sign of your intention to begin to invest in your health and well-being.
3. Community: Invite others into the area(s) of wellness that you identify as unhealthy or one you want to make changes in.
4. Invest: Choose to invest in yourself by engaging in the classes, services, and education offered at Rise Studios. We are here for you to help with your occupational health and wellness.
If you want to talk more about your specific struggles and hopes for your health and well-being, please contact me. We can set up a free consultation to discuss this, as well as a time to discuss what service you could benefit from.
Click here for the services we offer.