By De Burgos Healthy Super Tiger seventh-grade reporters | Take the opportunity to create social connections by joining clubs and meeting people with interests similar to yours, says Mr. Fahd Hammad, school counselor at Julia de Burgos. Experts say the effort to have strong social bonds is important for both your physical and mental health.
Seventh-grade Healthy Super Tiger reporters interviewed Mr. Hammad about his work with students as part of their research into creating healthy connections.
Mr. Hammad said a healthy social connection is having a sense of belonging and feeling safe in the building. It also means to have a functional relationship where you feel valued in your community. “It’s a framework where we feel safe treating people the way we want to be treated,” he said.
Mr. Hammad said his job is to help kids in our school. He feels that as a school counselor he can make a bigger impact on the community than what he was doing in his previous job. At his previous job, he was a one-on-one behavioral support teacher, but he felt like he could make a bigger impact as a guidance counselor.
Having strong social bonds and connections to others “creates feelings of belonging and being loved, cared for, and valued,” says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The body benefits in many ways from healthy social connections, according to the CDC article “Social Connectedness.” It says that healthy connections can help the body reduce the risk of heart disease, reduce depression and anxiety, and increase physical activity. Hanging out with friends can help you better manage stress and improve your sleep, says the CDC.
Growing a connection helps people in different ways. It can help people take a break from screens to connect with family and friends. When you connect with others, you can offer help to others when needed, and it allows you to show gratitude toward others.
Mr. Hammad said unhealthy connections are when people are mean or exclude others. For example, you can seem to be close to someone one day and the next day ignore them.
Times may seem to be tough now, Mr. Hammad added, but the world is yours. “When you see an opportunity, take it,” he said. “You can do whatever you set your mind to. The right people will be there in your corner and they will be there to help you.”
