How Community Involvement Supports Neighborhood Health
This article was written by Penny File. Penny File is a counselor who works with the families of military personnel who have either lost a member to the service or who are learning how to cope with life during the deployment. She is also a published author who writes for a number of military journals.
COVID-19 is a double pandemic -- a threat to our physical and mental health. As we try to ward off the Coronavirus through masks and social isolation, the virus is taking a toll on our mental health.
A vaccine can't prevent the isolation we feel from social distancing. But a sense of community can. “We’re social beings, and we are not meant to live in isolation,” says the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Community is where we find our sense of belonging, purpose, and support, and for the last year, many have suffered without those things.
Here are some tips to creating community involvement to support the health of your neighborhood.
Better Together
The Centers For Disease Control confirms the feelings of isolation and loneliness brought on by the pandemic increase stress and anxiety. It’s not only pandemic-induced isolation, but any kind of loneliness can have negative mental health impacts on people. Many people also lost loved ones to the virus, adding grief to the mental health burden.
Community involvement can start simply by being more social. Say “Hi” to the neighbors you see when you’re out walking the dog. Keep a civil tone on social media apps like NextDoor or Facebook. Check on elderly neighbors who may have had difficulty getting a vaccine and need help navigating the Internet.
Garden Together
You and like-minded neighbors can increase community involvement through gardening. Gardening has been shown by researchers to have a positive impact on mental health. Adding in a community involvement aspect can help bring neighbors out of isolation -- especially here in Oregon.
Gardening doesn’t have to be a heavy workout. You can encourage the elderly to join in by planting a low maintenance garden. Plant flowers native to Oregon or xeriscape the entrance to your neighborhood to showcase your community pride.
A Community vegetable garden increases access to fresh, nutritious foods, promotes moderate exercise, and increases social interaction. All of these promote good physical and mental health for the neighborhood. (And it's possible to socially distance and wear a mask while gardening.
Move Together
Many of us are more sedentary than we were two years ago -- with so many people working from home and not going places as often. It might feel harmless, but it can bring on heart issues and type 2 diabetes if left unchecked and impacts older adults more.
Community involvement can help here too. It can be as simple as starting up a community walking group for neighbors to join. With more people getting vaccinated and scientists finding that gathering outdoors is safer than once thought, a community exercise group that includes neighbors can be enough motivation to get all of us moving again.
People Need People
We have learned a lot in the past year, and not just about the Coronavirus. We've also learned how much social interaction and community involvement we need for our mental and physical health. We cannot live on takeout and Netflix alone, and as more people get vaccinated, it’s important to take the lessons we’ve learned about the community and apply them to make our neighborhoods healthier.