Skip to main content Skip to main menu
UF Health University of Florida
GatorCare University of Florida & UF Health
Our Wellness Team at The 2025 AWS

Social Relationships in the Workplace

Empowering UF – UF Health employees with relevant information regarding improving overall social health/wellness, balancing work/personal life, and presenting strategies for stress management and relationship conflict resolution in and out of the workplace. Learn how our three topics work together to support building and maintaining social relationships in the workplace.

Overview

Social Health is Wealth!

Social health (or wellness) is "adequate quantity and quality of relationships in a particular context to meet an individual’s need for meaningful human connection" (WHO, 2025).

social r
Improving social wellness
Balancing work/personal life
Managing Stress & Relationship conflicts

94% An overwhelming majority of workers (94%) said it is very or somewhat important to them that their workplace be a place where they feel they belong (APA’s 2023 Work in America Survey).

95% 95% of workers in the APA’S 2023 Work in America Survey said it is very (61%) or somewhat (34%) important to them to work for an organization that respects the boundaries between work and nonwork time.

85% One study from The Myers-Briggs Company found that 85% of employees deal with conflict in their working lives, and it costs U.S. companies an estimated $359 billion annually.

Improving Social Wellness

Strategies to Build Social Wellness

Strategy #1

Work on Self-Esteem

1) Higher self-esteem = easier to build social wellness. Build self-esteem by practicing self-affirming statements, eating nutrient dense foods, exercising 3-4 times a week, surrounding yourself with positive influences, and whatever else that makes you feel good and confident!

Explore More

Strategy #2

Reflect & Make Efforts

1) Reflect on social needs (what do you enjoy and what would you like to improve?)
2) Make efforts to be social and reach out to others (phone calls, classes/crafts, clubs/organizations, volunteering, etc.) Subscribe to your location’s GatorCare Wellness weekly newsletter for events!

Subscribe Now

Strategy #3

Maintain & Practice

1) Maintain these connections by scheduling time weekly to talk via text, call, email, social media, or video.
2) Practice active listening.
3) Seek out new activities or try something completely out of your zone.

More about Active Listening

Strategy #4

Build your Social Wellness Toolkit

1) Utilize the NIH Social Wellness Toolkit to add onto what you already know about improving your social health!
2) Take free social wellness and relationship building courses on the Mytraining site for UF (i.e. UF_SCS060_ILT, UF_TRV012_ILT, UFHS_ODL_eL_CWE_OLT, UF_TRV020_ILT, and more!)

Explore the NIH Toolkit

Balancing Work/Personal Life

Ongoing

Wellness Coaching Services

As a UF Health or UF team member, you have access to personalized one-on-one health coaching to support your wellbeing. Whether your goals include managing stress, improving nutrition, increasing physical activity, or making lasting lifestyle changes, a health coach can provide guidance, accountability, and encouragement every step of the way.

Services
wellness coaching

Featured VIDEO

Work-Life Alignment Presentation

Abi Loose, one of our wellness supervisors, discusses ways to find work-life balance through sub-topics like creating an alignment chart, identifying your reality, time management/ energy management strategies, and more. Go take a listen (around 37 minutes)!

GatorCare Youtube
WorkLife Alignment

Featured article

Growth and Fulfillment

Feeling overwhelmed and don’t know where to start? Read this article that looks at the big picture of a balanced life that promotes growth and fulfillment. From personal development to giving back to the community, it all starts with purposeful thoughts and actions.

Article
fun friday

General Helpful Tips

  • Be proactive! First, identify what is important to you and live according to your values.
    • Example: #1 Career, #Saving up for a home, #3 Starting a family, etc..
  • Time management (check out strategies here!)
    • Avoid working outside of established hours
    • Create a separate physical space for work
    • Create and communicate clear boundaries with people in and out of work
    • Delegate work when possible and take breaks (such as walking outside for a change of scenery)
  • Create time for personal reflection. 5-10 minutes of journaling, meditating, or reading relaxing material is a restorative practice recommended by many professionals.
  • Maintain physical well-being by exercising regularly, eating nutrient dense foods, sleeping well, and going for regular checkups.
  • Nurture close relationships in and out of the workplace. This can done through getting lunch, coffee breaks, fostering a shared hobby, etc.
  • Find activities not related to your work to give yourself a break from work life.
    • *Balancing Your Life at Work and Home. (2009). Journal of oncology practice, 5(5), 253–255. https://doi.org/10.1200/JOP.091018
    • Rao, T. S., & Indla, V. (2010). Work, family or personal life: Why not all three?. Indian journal of psychiatry, 52(4), 295–297. https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5545.74301

Intra & Interpersonal Impacts

oVERVIEW

Social Connection = Feel Better & Support Others!

Since the early 2000s and the rise of social media, on average, there has been a decrease with in-person social engagement and an increase in time spent alone. Improving social wellness and finding effective strategies to balance work/personal life can benefit yourself, others, and even a community at large. From increased self-efficacy to prosocial behavior in groups, the impacts of social connectedness are vast.

inter intra

Breakdown & Importance of Social Support Groups

  • Improved Structure: Consider the number, variety of relationships, and frequency of interactions (i.e. friend circle size). Are you happy with your social support structure?
  • Improved Quality: The positive and negative aspects of relationships/interactions (social inclusion or exclusion). Reflect on past positive and negative social experiences. What types of relationships and interactions do you want?
  • Improved Function: The degree to which relationships serve various needs (emotional support, instrumental support, mentorship, etc.) Is there opportunity to diversify your social support group?
  • Social support is associated with better self care, especially in glucose monitoring in Type 2 diabetics (Holt-Lunstad, 2024)
  • There is also evidence to suggest that poor social connection is associated with worse outcomes among those who are already ill.

Statistics About the Importance of Social Support

68% ↑ Heart failure patients who self‐reported high levels of loneliness had a 68% increased risk of hospitalization (Holt-Lunstad, 2024).

57% ↑ Heart failure patients who self‐reported high levels of loneliness had a 57% higher risk of emergency hospital visits (Holt-Lunstad, 2024).

26% ↑ Heart failure patients who self‐reported high levels of loneliness had a 26% increased risk of outpatient visits compared with patients reporting low loneliness (Holt-Lunstad, 2024).

Managing Stress & Relationship Conflicts

Stress and conflict often go hand in hand. Remember, you have to manage your stress first before you begin to help others! Take a look at the resources below to better manage stress and resolve conflicts in relationships: