Relational health focuses on establishing and maintaining meaningful relationships with self, other individuals, groups, and communities and develops from our interactions and connections with others. Having a network that is grounded in supportive relationships can help create feelings of satisfaction and security. With the “month of love” upon us, what better spoke of the wellness wheel framework to dive into?
Relational health is core to the mission and work of Student Services and is something we speak about often. Remember the web of support from previous B-2 B-Well articles? That analogy is grounded in relational health, in the idea of creating a network of healthy relationships.
It’s no surprise that relationship struggles, in all their forms, are a primary reason why students visit us in B-2. Harvard is a high-intensity environment, and interpersonal struggles with peers, faculty, advisors, or lab mates happen in all departments. Not to mention roommate issues or problems with partners and friends. Students also often come in to talk about their relationships with themselves. Some struggle with time management and organizational skills. Others with imposter syndrome and self-doubt.
Relational health can be tricky for this reason—there are multiple moving parts to keep track of. Despite our best intentions, our connections with others can start to look more and more like a neglected plant in the corner. Which relationships do you tend to forget? Some folks are excellent at maintaining their relationship with their partner but struggle to prioritize friendships. Others are fantastic at supporting everyone in their life...at a personal cost.
Take a moment to reflect on which of your relationships could benefit from some dedicated love and attention this month. Reflect, too, on the fact that relationships can change. Needs shift. We must thoughtfully check in on the various plants in our relationship gardens to make sure we are not unintentionally underwatering one area and overwatering another. We must also leave room for growth! People and plants change and bloom.
To that end, we are happy to announce that B-2 B-Well will be blossoming next month into a new format of article. We are excited to partner with YOU, the Harvard community, as we conduct interviews on the amazing work, research, and resources that students, faculty, and staff have to share. Thankfully (or perhaps unfortunately, depending on your point of view), we will stay true to our roots and keep using terrible puns.
If you are interested in working with us and sharing something fantastic happening in the Harvard community, please don’t hesitate to reach out to stuserv@fas.harvard.edu. Remember to visit B-2 and B-Well!
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