In short

I’m so happy to see social prescription being better understood & taken more seriously. As we support those who need it, I’m also aware that people want to be independent, they explore & test things out for themselves. I advocate for this type of self-social prescription because it has the potential for great growth, however, I appreciate there is also the real possibility of great danger. Like most things in life being over-cautious won’t support individuals, we must explore the topic so we can develop confidence in understanding its true nature.

Natural habits & new growth

The term social prescribing has been around for over 34 years. History documents that before its definition people had a long culture of home remedies via lifestyle habits. As lifestyles have changed; increasingly seated work, eating non-nutrient food-like substances & swinging from hyper & hypo-stimulated. Social prescribing has a growing body of research, its value is increasingly being recognised & now has formal ways of referring non-clinical services.

The three overarching approaches are; advice, skills & development. Examples include review & advice for mental health, debts, addictions & substance abuse. Learning about cooking, nutrition & technology. Practicing skills, befriending others & volunteering. One of my favourite & what I believe will be a fast-growing area is Time-banking; which enables people to trade their skills directly as currency. This also leads to paying forward to the community of volunteers who supported them.

Parental, education & community life have degraded over recent decades leaving people feeling behind in their life. Many people find support for community access particularly useful because it supports long-term changes & lays the foundations for continued growth. Some say social prescription is great for those who are experiencing symptoms too complex for primary care & not enough for secondary care. However, social prescriptions are a great preventative measure for those in primary care, reducing their chances of requiring hospitalisation & those leaving secondary care as they integrate back into home life.

Expansive times

While a decrease in socialising has had beneficial factors in terms of slowing germ transmission, a lack of socialising often means people experience loneliness. From my observation, some may be happy, self-entertaining persons, but they also feel overwhelmed when they enjoy a rare social occasion. This may be partly because they are out of practice in conversing but maybe also because when that connection is felt with another, the palpable energy reminds them of the joy of feeling effervescent. There’s a fine line between fear & excitement; we get to choose which one we tell ourselves we’re experiencing.

Over the past few decades, there has been a growing disconnect, where people have been less interested in their health & prefer accepting a diagnostic finite state. A general overwhelm stemming from a severe lack of certainty & growing societal fears via media magnifying negativity. Thankfully social prescriptions are funded & run by volunteers, the community & some social enterprises. They support individuals to recognise their resilience, practice mental & physical dexterity & renew their autonomy. Gaining clarity on the ways they can contribute perpetuates happiness & subsequently their independence.

Simply put, being involved in the community creates a need for physical movement, the act of being energy in motion circulates flow within our body & new perspectives are enabled. Creative elements facilitate expression & exploration of further ways to contribute. By interacting with other life we have opportunities to be imperfect, learn & build resilience. There are specific social prescription groups, such as those for chronic diseases, spiritual or religious preference, physical disability & learning difficulties; the list is ever-expanding. The role of formal social prescription is to primarily support all the safety aspects.

Intricate grassroots

For safety & appropriateness, it takes time to review activities for formal social prescription channels. However, fast-growing industries are likely to fuel types of social prescriptions. Developments in technology, artificial Intelligence, and environmental & agricultural industries will be sought. Out of necessity & will to utilise change, we are beginning to have an interest in growing our food or growing more locally. Buying with thought for the environment. More people are using wearables, and getting involved with their care & as popularity increases & patents end, the price of them will reduce.

However, increased use of technology comes with a concern for those who choose options, that lack quality & report inaccurate readings. Another concern is understanding what information they report, none of which is regularly calibrated. A computer can report measurements but there is still a gap in technologies ability to bridge the interpretations that are required because everyone is unique. Over-reliance on technology is a problem because we’re using our minds less & the pathways for thinking are weaker from a lack of regular firing.

Social prescriptions that have creative elements to them are particularly useful because they create a space to relax. For many, life is challenging enough to cause too much tension which equals pain & discomfort. Space that allows relaxing of the tension, enhances our ability to breathe more fully, think more clearly & decide more promptly. Historically, we focused on masculine, work, achievement & specialising which has led us away from the feminine parts of us that create space for people to feel seen, heard & just be. As we begin to actively pursue thinking as well as use technology, we can leverage the potential power of both to meet the needs of many. Even when we focus on overwhelm, all is not lost because together even a small step is much larger than an average step a few years ago.

3 Proactive steps forward

1.          Ideally, we’d implement widespread basic training, the more we can spread the understanding of social prescription the more we will feel able to encourage people to access communities independently; if they’re confident & safe to do so. The formal social prescription service is there to support many who require guidance because they may be vulnerable to overwhelm or upset if attempting a less-well-suited prescription. Some require supported feedback if they struggle with negative thinking & they could be vulnerable to scams. Sometimes they’re of the population that is less likely to have money to get transport to the venue, they might have a variety of minor concerns that hold them back from engaging; which is where the social prescription link worker is utilised in preparing them.

2.          I look forward to a time when time banking thrives again because it is a practice that reflects our need for community. To trade our skills as currency we have to regain our trust levels, synonymous with fear levels; which are fuelled by not-so-sociable media. For every negative, we need several positives to outweigh the effects. To gain back trust with each other, small things like scheduling time to be in less of a rush, allows for time to speak with people, rather than at them. One of my favourite practices is dancing freely without routine, it taps into innate knowledge, & with little thought, we create various movements as we physically respond to sensing the space between a stimulus & response. Dancing independently in a group environment can support rebuilding trust in ourselves & others & is also a community to develop conversing skills.

3.             Sometimes I notice discomfort in speaking with someone & I realise it’s because it’s been several days where I’ve been typing at a computer,  traveling, & shopping at a robotic till; with zero need to converse with anyone. I didn’t experience lockdowns, but I was really surprised how few people around me reported using phone or video calls. Even without lockdowns now, I call my friends to connect each week. I can continue to guess how others are & leave them guessing how I am but the only way we can have any real insight is by consistently conversing. Otherwise, any perception of who someone is is likely not who they are anymore & you’re precepting who they are based on who they were.

FREE 3-minute practical

• What social prescriptions are you interested in? Can you take part in something local to get a greater understanding of a few different things over the year? Pick one to investigate over the next week & book an experience.
  •            Ask a colleague about their understanding of social prescription & what social prescriptions they would recommend & why.
  •            Put some of your favourite music on & dance around like you’re at a live concert (I’d recommend using wireless headphones). Then when the song ends, sit in silence & feel the sensation of your heart beating, blood circulating & what it truly means to be alive.

Interpractive nurture consultant Ltd