loneliness

Building Connections and Finding Support After Moving

Moving is a monumental change in life, embodying a fresh chapter filled with new beginnings and opportunities. Despite this, finding support after moving can be a challenging endeavor, leading to stress and anxiety. This daunting phase requires not only physical adjustment but also emotional resilience. Governments worldwide recognize this challenge, extending various forms of aid to help individuals ease into their new environments. However, personal initiatives also play a crucial role in building connections and ensuring emotional well-being post-relocation.

A Gentle Transition

Even in the excitement of moving, the pressure can be overwhelming, especially when relocating to an unknown place with unfamiliar faces. Building a solid network becomes indispensable, aiding in emotional adjustment and providing necessary support and assistance. Let’s find out how you can do this!

Woman writing on a cardboard box while packing for a move

The adventure of relocating can unfurl its exciting and thrilling layers seamlessly with thoughtful and comprehensive preparation in advance.

1. Forge New Friendships

Taking the first step to forge new friendships is crucial in creating a robust support system in a new city. Engage in local events, community gatherings, or interest-based clubs where you can encounter people with similar hobbies and preferences. These spaces are filled with potential friends who can make your transition less challenging.

Make sure to be genuine and open in your interactions, presenting yourself honestly and showing interest in others. This approach not only helps in laying the foundation for durable and supportive relationships but also in understanding the social dynamics of your new location.

2. Discover Local Culture

Immerse yourself in the local culture as a meaningful way to build connections after moving. Adapting to your new environment is more than just learning the streets and finding the best grocery stores. It’s about understanding the heartbeat of the community – its traditions, customs, and lifestyles.

Therefore, make sure to explore local events, festivities, and cultural activities to gain a deeper insight into the communal ethos. Embracing the local culture fosters a sense of belonging and integration, enhancing your overall moving experience by transforming an unfamiliar place into a home filled with warmth, friendship, and understanding.

3. Address Emotional Responses to Change

Each person reacts to change differently, and for some, moving can trigger anxiety and depression, especially those who find it challenging to adapt to new environments and establish new relationships. The emotional turmoil of leaving the familiar and facing the unknown can be overwhelming.

In these situations, don’t be afraid to reach out to a professional. Therapists and psychologists specialize in assisting individuals to navigate significant life transitions like moving, offering unique insights and strategies to manage emotional upheavals effectively. After all, a balanced mental state forms the foundation for successfully building connections and finding the needed support after moving.

4. Engage in Online Platforms

The digital world offers a plethora of platforms to build connections in your new community. Engage in local forums, social media groups, and online communities where you can meet neighbors and local residents.

Woman researching ways for finding support after moving on a laptop

Engaging on online platforms plays a pivotal role in finding support after moving, connecting you with locals, and expediting your integration.

These platforms provide a wealth of information, insights, and opportunities to interact and learn about your new community. By establishing online connections, you open doors to physical meetups, friendships, and a comprehensive understanding of community dynamics, ensuring you’re well-integrated and connected in your new environment.

5. Prioritize Your Mental Well-Being

Ensuring your mental well-being is as significant as establishing social connections in your new environment. It’s easy to neglect emotional health amidst the hustle of moving and adapting to a new community, but it’s crucial for a smooth transition and overall happiness.

In fact, Florida’s finest licensed clinical psychologist often highlights the importance of mindfulness practices in navigating such significant life changes. They recommend setting aside dedicated time for self-reflection, relaxation, and mental rejuvenation.

Therefore, engage in activities like meditation, journaling, or outdoor walks to keep your mental health in check. By prioritizing your emotional well-being, you build resilience and a positive mindset, enabling you to tackle challenges and embrace new opportunities effectively, fostering a well-rounded and supported adjustment to your new locale.

6. Tap into Local Resources

Make the most of local resources to create meaningful connections and a sense of community belonging. Community centers, clubs, and groups are ideal venues to connect with people and understand the local environment better.

Through insights from the Big Man’s Moving Company Florida, they stress the significance of engaging with local communities. Their experience in aiding countless individuals in relocation has shown that those actively participating in local events and groups tend to establish a quicker connection with the area and its residents, enhancing their settling experience.

7. Volunteer Your Time

Another valuable approach to building connections and finding support after moving is volunteering your time to local causes and organizations. Not only does this noble endeavor contribute positively to your new community and experience the joy of giving, but it also provides a robust platform for meeting like-minded individuals and families. Volunteering allows you to work alongside others, fostering a natural environment for creating strong, supportive relationships.

Volunteering in your new community unfolds multifaceted benefits, nurturing friendships, enhancing understanding, and contributing positively to your new environment.

On top of that, it also affords a deeper insight into the community’s values, needs, and dynamics, helping you align yourself better with your new surroundings. Engage in causes that resonate with you, and leverage this opportunity to make a tangible difference while establishing meaningful connections and a solid support system in your new home.

The shared experience of giving back and making a positive impact enhances bonds and provides a shared sense of purpose and community belonging, further easing your transition and adjustment into your new environment.

Embracing Your New Journey

While the journey may be daunting, remember that finding support after moving is essential for a seamless transition. Therefore, embrace the new opportunities and challenges that come with moving. Take the chance to explore, understand, and integrate into the local culture, traditions, and lifestyles. This path paves the way for establishing meaningful relationships, promoting emotional well-being, and ensuring a successful and enriching new chapter in your life.

Guest article written by Amy Baker

5 minute gratitude journal, depression, gratitude, Hoʻoponopono, loneliness, Miami holistic health coach, Miami psychologist, Thanksgiving Day,

How letting go will help you to experience gratitude and love . . .

In Psychology and Wellness

Traditionally, Thanksgiving Day marks a celebration and expression of gratitude. Gratitude and the acknowledgment for all of the positive aspects in your life during which you acknowledge your basic needs being met (e.g., a roof over your head to sleep, clean water, food), the material goods in your life, friends, family and loved ones.

Several studies have found that when you cultivate gratitude, you are more likely to be happy, cope more adaptively and increase your relationships with the people who you love.^1,2,3 You are also less likely to get stressed or depressed and will engage in fewer negative coping behaviors, such as substance abuse.⁴

Acknowledging the positive aspects in your life may be challenging for you; particularly, when you focus or hold on to negative emotions like frustration, anger and resentment. Holding on to negative emotions towards situations and people in your life can exacerbate the painful conditions you are trying to avoid or change.

Fortunately, there are simple steps you can take to cultivate a grateful heart and reap its many psychological benefits. In order to have an attitude of appreciation, you must first release and let go of any negative emotions that you are holding on to in your life. Like any skill, you must also practice appreciation in order to cultivate an attitude of gratitude.

To help you release negative emotions, try the traditional Hawaiian practice of Hoʻoponopono. This traditional practice of forgiveness or reconciliation will help you to open your heart and mind to the many blessings in your life. It is defined in the Hawaiian Dictionary as a “mental cleansing: family conferences in which relationships were set right through prayer, discussion, confession, repentance, and mutual restitution and forgiveness.”

To practice, simply bring to your awareness to the difficult situation or person with whom you are holding on to a negative emotion. As you visualize the situation or person, repeat in your mind and affirm “I’m sorry,” “Please forgive me,” “Thank you” and “I love you.” Let go of the need to find blame, be gentle and refrain from judging yourself. Continue the practice for 5 – 10 minutes. Do this every day for a few weeks and you will experience a shift in your heart and be more open and receptive to the good graces in your life.

As you let go of the negative emotions that are holding you back and cultivate gratitude, you will also want to keep a gratitude journal. Start each morning reflecting on the people, situations or aspects of your life for which you are grateful. You can use The 5 Minute Gratitude Journal that has prompts for you to write down 2 aspects each morning. Gratitude journals have been found to help people experience more positive emotions and reduce painful feelings like depression in many psychological studies.⁵

In order to sustain and cherish the love in your life, it is simultaneously important to learn to notice, pay attention and forgive. We all commit errors and act in ways that only with the perspective of maturity and growth we later regret or feel contrite about in life. As the English poet Alexandar Pope has eloquently stated “to err is human; to forgive, divine.”

You cannot avoid the pain that invariable comes from acting in a manner that you or your loved one now would act in differently. In seeking to minimize or avoid your pain, you also cut yourself off from experiencing human virtues like joy, love, appreciation and gratitude. So in order to cultivate and nourish these “feel good” emotions, you must be willing to make room for them and hold them lightly. So this week on Thanksgiving Day, learn to notice how you feel, allow and make room for all emotions and cultivate gratitude by releasing the painful emotions that hold you back and notice the abundance in your life.

To your health and success,

Dr. Sandoval

To learn more about how working with a psychologist and holistic health coach can help you to enhance your health and well-being, call or email Dr. Sandoval to schedule a free consultation.

Algoe, Sara B.; Fredrickson, Barbara L.; Gable, Shelly L. “The social functions of the emotion of gratitude via expression.” Emotion, (2013) 13(4), 605-609.
Emmons, R.A., McCullough, M.E. “Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. (2003) 84(2), 377-389.
Gordon, A.M.; Impett, E.A.; Kogan, A.; Oveis, C.; Keltner, D. “To have and to hold: Gratitude promotes relationship maintenance in intimate bonds. “ Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (2012) 03(2) 257-274.
Grant, A. M.; Gino, F. “A little thanks goes a long way: Explaining why gratitude expressions motivate prosocial behavior.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. (2010) 98(6), 946-955.
Lyubomirsky, Sonja; Dickerhoof, Rene; Boehm, Julia K.; Sheldon, Kennon M. “Becoming happier takes both a will and a proper way: An experimental longitudinal intervention to boost well-being.” Emotion (2011)11(2), 391-402.

The information, published and/or made available through the www.drjosesandoval.com website, is not intended to replace the services of a physician, nor does it constitute a physician-patient relationship. This blog is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use the information in this post for diagnosing or treating a medical or health condition. You should consult a physician in all matters relating to your health, particularly in respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention. Any action on the reader’s part in response to the information provided in this blog is at the reader’s discretion.

isolation, loneliness, Miami holistic health coach, Miami psychologist, social networks, social support, volunteering,

Are you putting yourself at risk by doing this . . .

In Psychology and Wellness

You may eat very healthfully, exercise consistently, sleep like a baby, spend time outdoors with nature getting sunlight everyday, take some supplements and yet still be experiencing various health challenges. While all of these behaviors ARE health promoting, you may underestimate the power and importance of having social contact and community involvement.

Research in several health disciplines has demonstrated the protective effects of social support.^{1, 2, 3}Prospective studies have found an increased risk for death in people who have few and sometimes just low quality relationships – independent of baseline health.⁴The health risks of loneliness, which often accompany isolation, are well documented and have even been shown to damage the heart muscle and lead to premature death. Your relationships also are a key player in regulating the expression of your genes.⁵

While many of our modern day technological advancements like smartphones, social media platforms (e.g., Face Book, Twitter, Instagram,Tik Tok, Pinterest, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Telagram, Snapchat, etc.) and television contribute greatly to this state because they all have the effect of ensnaring you into a tangled web (think about how much time you spend using any of these technologies that you could use instead to do more of what YOU value in life; no coincidence it’s known as the world wide web).

To find your freedom, it is quite simple to find people with whom to socialize and create your own supportive community. Begin by taking a digital break once a week (i.e., one day per week do not use any technology at all.). Socialize more by volunteering your time. It is one way of feeling that you are contributing and making social contact. You can use sites like Volunteer Match to find opportunities to connect and help. Volunteering has many health promoting effects. You can also join a group that shares one of your interests and have fun while you socialize. Whether you like reading and want to become part of a book club, enjoy collecting stamps or simply want to find people who enjoy drinking good cup of coffee, Meet Up helps to connect you to hundreds of people in your local area who all share your passion.

If you feel apprehensive about meeting strangers, consider that all of your friends now at some point in time were strangers to you too. And if these ideas still scare you, you can join the one community that is always with you. Next time that you see one of your neighbors, do as Mr. Rogers did and greet them and say “It’s nice to be your neighbor.”

To your health and success,

Dr. Sandoval

To learn more about how working with a psychologist and holistic health coach can help you to enhance your health and well-being, call or email Dr. Sandoval to schedule a free consultation.

Ozbay, F, Johnson, DC, Dimoulas, E, Morgan, CA, Charney, D, and Southwick, S. “Social Support and Resilience to Stress: From Neurobiology to Clinical Practice.” Psychiatry. (2007). 4(5): 35–40.
House, JS, Landis, LR, Umberson, D “Social Relationships and Health.” Science. (1988). 241: 540-545.
Seeman, TE. “Social ties and health: The benefits of social integration.” Annals of Epidemiology. (1996). 6(5): 442–451.
Holt-Lunstad, J, Smith, TB, Layton, & B “Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-Analytic Review.” PLOS Medicine. (2010). 7(7): 1-20.
Ben Lynch ND. Dirty Genes: A Breakthrough Program to Treat the Root Cause of Illness and Optimize Your Health (2018).

The information, published and/or made available through the www.drjosesandoval.com website, is not intended to replace the services of a physician, nor does it constitute a physician-patient relationship. This blog is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use the information in this post for diagnosing or treating a medical or health condition. You should consult a physician in all matters relating to your health, particularly in respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention. Any action on the reader’s part in response to the information provided in this blog is at the reader’s discretion.

How letting go will help you to experience gratitude and love . . .

In Psychology and Wellness

Traditionally, Thanksgiving Day marks a celebration and expression of gratitude. Gratitude and acknowledgement for all of the positive aspects in your life during which you acknowledge your basic needs being met (e.g., a roof over your head to sleep, clean water, food), the material goods in your life, friends, family and loved ones.

Many studies have found that when you cultivate gratitude, you are more likely to be happier, cope more adaptively and increase your relationships with the people who you love.^1,2,3 You are also less likely to get stressed or depressed and will engage in fewer negative coping behaviors, such as substance abuse.⁴

Acknowledging the positive aspects in your life may be challenging for you; particularly, when you focus or hold on to negative emotions like frustration, anger and resentment. Holding on to negative emotions towards situations and people in your life can exacerbate the painful conditions you are trying to avoid or change.

Fortunately, there are simple steps you can take to cultivate a grateful heart and reap its many psychological benefits. In order to have an attitude of appreciation, you must first release and let go of any negative emotions that you are holding on to in your life. Like any skill, you must also practice appreciation in order to cultivate an attitude of gratitude.

To help you release negative emotions, try the traditional Hawaiian practice of Hoʻoponopono. This traditional practice of forgiveness or reconciliation will help you to open your heart and mind to the many blessings in your life. It is defined in the Hawaiian Dictionary as a “mental cleansing: family conferences in which relationships were set right through prayer, discussion, confession, repentance, and mutual restitution and forgiveness.”

To practice, simply bring to your awareness to the difficult situation or person with whom you are holding on to a negative emotion. As you visualize the situation or person, repeat in your mind and affirm “I’m sorry,” “Please forgive me,” “Thank you” and “I love you.” Let go of the need to find blame, be gentle and refrain from judging yourself. Continue the practice for 5 – 10 minutes. Do this every day for a few weeks and you will experience a shift in your heart and be more open and receptive to the good graces in your life.

As you let go of the negative emotions that are holding you back and cultivate gratitude, you will also want to keep a gratitude journal. Start each morning reflecting on the people, situations or aspects of your life for which you are grateful. You can use The 5 Minute Gratitude Journal that has prompts for you to write down 2 aspects each morning. Gratitude journals have been found to help people experience more positive emotions and reduce painful feelings like depression in many psychological studies.⁵

In order to sustain and cherish the love in your life, it is simultaneously important to learn to notice, pay attention and forgive. We all commit errors, make mistakes and act in ways that only with the perspective of maturity and growth we later regret or feel contrite about in life. As the English poet Alexandar Pope has eloquently stated “to err is human; to forgive, divine.”

You cannot avoid the pain that invariable comes from acting in a manner that you or your loved one now would act in differently. In seeking to minimize or avoid your pain, you also cut yourself off from experiencing human virtues like joy, love, appreciation and gratitude. So in order to cultivate and nourish these “feel good” emotions, you must be willing to make room for them and hold them lightly. So this week on Thanksgiving Day, learn to notice how you feel, allow and make room for all emotions and cultivate gratitude by releasing the painful emotions that hold you back and notice the abundance in your life.

To your health,

Dr. Sandoval

To learn more about how working with a psychologist and holistic health coach can help you to enhance your health and well-being, call or email Dr. Sandoval to schedule a free consultation.

Algoe, Sara B.; Fredrickson, Barbara L.; Gable, Shelly L. “The social functions of the emotion of gratitude via expression.” Emotion, (2013) 13(4), 605-609.
Emmons, R.A., McCullough, M.E. “Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. (2003) 84(2), 377-389.
Gordon, A.M.; Impett, E.A.; Kogan, A.; Oveis, C.; Keltner, D. “To have and to hold: Gratitude promotes relationship maintenance in intimate bonds. “ Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (2012) 03(2) 257-274.
Grant, A. M.; Gino, F. “A little thanks goes a long way: Explaining why gratitude expressions motivate prosocial behavior.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. (2010) 98(6), 946-955.
Lyubomirsky, Sonja; Dickerhoof, Rene; Boehm, Julia K.; Sheldon, Kennon M. “Becoming happier takes both a will and a proper way: An experimental longitudinal intervention to boost well-being.” Emotion (2011)11(2), 391-402.

The information, published and/or made available through the www.drjosesandoval.com website, is not intended to replace the services of a physician, nor does it constitute a physician-patient relationship. This blog is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use the information in this post for diagnosing or treating a medical or health condition. You should consult a physician in all matters relating to your health, particularly in respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention. Any action on the reader’s part in response to the information provided in this blog is at the reader’s discretion.