Today we wanted to look at something that has been a key focus for our business: building a supportive community. This is something that we have worked on ensuring we do from day one of opening.
First, let's look at the benefits of social support and supportive environments:
Decreased risk of depression
Decreased alcohol usage
Decreased rate of suicide
Improved motivation
Improved coping with stress
Improvement to healthy behaviours
Improved cognitive and brain function
So the benefits are very clear. But how can we go about building a supportive community:
Start small and build to a larger group.
Offer support to those around you.
Define your identity and morals.
Get everyone you can involved.
Be accepting of everyone.
Ensure the group stands against bullying and supports one another.
Find shared goals.
Support each other's journeys.
These are things that we worked through when starting S&T STEPS, and is a constant work in progress for us. We are always striving on making our business more inclusive and supportive.
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