That said, as adults life can get in the way of us being able to support others if we are feeling low in mood.
Read on to find out about growing your support network using the Five to Thrive building blocks as guidance.
Why do I need to have a family support network ?
It's normal for parents and carers to feel run down or low and not be able to respond to the needs of others when they're not feeling at their best. This is when its important to know who your family support network is and call upon them for help.
Networks build resilience. When families face challenges such as job loss, illness, conflict, or emergencies, a strong support system provides emotional backing, help and comfort. A family support network reduces the burden on any single person, as others can step in to help.
Networks can also reduce social isolation (check out our Family Hubs stay and plays and wellbeing cafes), create more people who care about us (and our family), our wellbeing, offer learning opportunities and give us a sense of belonging.
How do I know who's in my family support network?
We cannot meet the needs of others unless we're feeling resilient enough to do so. We can’t pour from an empty cup !!
We all have attachment needs for healthy brain maintenance and we can use the Five to Thrive building blocks to help us identify who's in our family support network. Ask yourself these 5 questions.
Remember to consider people wider than your immediate family (although family are really important too)
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Neighbours, friends and colleagues
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Your child's friends parents
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Religious groups
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Local services
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People you've met at hobbies or volunteering groups
How can Five to Thrive help me if I'm feeling dis-regulated?
We know that we need strong relationships with other people to help us keep regulated. But many things can get in the way of these relationships such as illness, disability, pain or stress, physical or mental illness, domestic violence, substance misuse etc.
When we read the blocks from bottom to top, it explains the neurological sequence our brain goes through when we help others or they help us. This isn't something we need to learn, we do it automatically simply because we're human beings.
If someone is helping us co-regulate, it allows us to 'catch their calm' and recover from stressful moments quicker and in a healthier way. And because we've noticed it, we're more likely to mirror and match the behaviour and build our resilience levels.
You can find out more about each block on our Five to Thrive page