Add a little sugar and spice to your social life

Did you know that those who have a strong circle of friends and those who contribute to the lives of others live longer and are happier?

Think about your life - think of the people you interact with daily. What does your circle look like?

Note: You do not to have to rate highest on the extrovert scale of a personality test to be social.

The Social Dimension of Wellness encourages contributing to one's human and physical environment and to the common welfare of one's community.

It emphasizes the interdependence with others and nature and it includes the pursuit of harmony in one's family.

Someone who is socially well:

• Interacts well with and enjoys being with others.

• Is comfortable and at ease in a variety of situations during work and play.

• Communicates feeling and needs.

• Develops and cultivates close friendships.

• Recognizes the necessity for leisure and budgets time for constructive projects, meetings and recreational activities.

• Is aware of societal changes and cultural diversity and can adjust appropriately.

• Interacts well with people of both sexes, different backgrounds, lifestyles, ethnicities and ages.

Here are a few ways you can improve your social wellness: Volunteer, belong to a group or organization, laugh more, be more empathetic, spruce up your spontaneity, help others, interact with others, try to be more tolerant, have fun. Some questions to ask in evaluating your social life are: What do you do to improve your environment? How active you are with your community? Do you work well in a team setting?

Circle the items that pertain to you. Where could you improve?

Some upcoming opportunities to improve your social life include National Volunteer Week, April 22-May 3. For more information go to www.PointsofLight.com. April 22 is Earth Day and what a perfect time to contribute to your environment

On another note, here are a few comments that popped up from the first two articles.

"I need to lose this (pointing to her stomach)."

"Aren't fava beans the ones covered in chocolate?"

"Can we go for a beer after your Wellness Immersion classes?"

When talking to a wellness colleague about these comments, she said it is all about repetition - go back every week and give another little overview of wellness. So, I am going to pretend to be that favorite teacher we had in school. You know, the one who repeated the information until all, and I mean all, the students finally got it. Well, maybe not to that extent, but...

Wellness is a lifestyle. It is about feeling good, happy and zestful. So, if you have thoughts that you would feel better and "good" if you lost some weight, then create a plan to accomplish that.

If you want to go out for a beer with your friends, do it. If you want to try those fava beans - think Jack and the Beanstalk - covered in chocolate, do so. If there is one thing you take from this article, it's that wellness is all about balance and living by the theme of moderation.

• Laura Brownlee recently moved to Carson City and works with the National Wellness Institute. She can be reached at editor@nevadaappeal.com