Wellness

Social

Social Wellness with network image

A socially-well person feels empowered to contribute to the community around them. They learn about the world, seek to form healthy connections and relationships, and give and take as members of support systems.


The provided by the National Institutes of Health contains checklists, quick-topic flip cards, and resources for further exploration. 

Magellen LogoOur EAP offers a wealth of free resources for building social connections.  

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Resources for Building Connections

Explore topics and tools for building connections offered by the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) by visiting the "Life" page.  

eap-life-building connections screenshot

Making Connections & Social Skills

(LinkedIn Learning* 22 minutes) "Home-based workers often report feeling disconnected, isolated, and alone. This course teaches us how to create professional yet personal connections with remote team members and how to satisfy that missing element of closeness that people get when they are together at work." 

*(USF Employees have free access to LinkedIn Learning. Learn more here). 

  (Ted Talks Video 10 minutes) "Maria Scileppi decided to pursue an interesting experiment. For one year, she made a new friend every day — 365 in one year! Listen to the lessons she has to share from this experiment!"

(Ted Talks Video 11 minutes)
"When your job hinges on how well you talk to people, you learn a lot about how to have conversations -- and that most of us don't converse very well. Celeste Headlee has worked as a radio host for decades, and she knows the ingredients of a great conversation: Honesty, brevity, clarity and a healthy amount of listening. In this insightful talk, she shares 10 useful rules for having better conversations. 'Go out, talk to people, listen to people,' she says. 'And, most importantly, be prepared to be amazed.'"

Events, Affinity Groups and Other USF Networking Opportunities

Employee Resource Groups Employee Resource Groups are voluntary and led by employees themselves.  ERGs, or affinity groups, help to provide a sense of community and well-being by reducing isolation that employees may feel. 

See the Employee Success Center Networking Opportunities page for more options, including:

  • USF Club
  • USF Alumni Association (Faculty & Staff can join without being a USF grad).
  • Advisory Councils
  • Presidential Advisory Committees & Community-Based Councils
  • Communities of Practice

Event Calendar: Bookmark and check back often for all events on all USF campuses! 

Community Service and Support - Volunteer Opportunities

USF's Stampede of Service (SOS) kicks off each january. Learn about SOS and other USF volunteer opportunities from the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement.

Our Community: Looking to Help? Consider contacting an organization either individually or as a department or group.  For example, many departments have hosted holiday parties with a focus on collecting food or toys. Here are just some of the organizations that USF has worked with in the past:

Food Insecurities

has an ongoing need for donations and service within the surrounding counties. 

Help for the Holidays

    • The local program, sponsored by the Marines, opens each Fall for toy donations and recipients in need. 
    • The provides food and toys to families in need. Donations are accepted year-round. 
    • The Angel Tree and other holiday assistance programs that can be found through a near you. Families are typically registered in the months of September, October and November.