Diversity and inclusivity are some of the most talked about terms for the past couple of years. As we dive more into creating more diverse relationships around us, we also participate in inclusivity. This can create several positive impacts in our society as well as in our personal life.

The close connection between relationship diversity and well-being can be seen in studies and research as well. To illustrate a clearer picture of this innate relationship, Hanne Collins and her team from Harvard University have done a remarkable job. It can perfectly depict how diversity and a socially diverse portfolio have a direct impact on your well-being.

Hanne Collins, in her study, documents a link between the relational diversity of one’s social portfolio and their well-being. She focuses on the findings of surveys conducted across four distinct samples covering thousands of people. Based on several pre-registered surveys and studies, and specification curve analysis, she and her team draw the conclusion.

We can see that the positive relationship between social portfolio diversity and well-being is significant. Especially, across different well-being metrics, relationship type categorizations, and the inclusion of a wide range of covariates. As a result, the relational diversity of their social portfolio is a unique predictor of well-being over time, both between individuals and within individuals.

Similarly, the studies of the University of Minnesota show us a similar relationship between socially diverse relationships and a person’s well-being. That is why we need to create socially diverse portfolios as we age through life. More importantly for people reaching their retirement, social diversity can be one of the best things to start practicing.

To start creating socially diverse portfolios, here is a list of activities that you can start practicing today.

Start To Discover Your Unconscious Biases: Everyone has biases in the way we behave in society. However, these biases can be detrimental to our relationships when we are unaware of them. To start being more inclusive and have a diverse relationship, unconscious biases need to be discovered.

So, next time you are engaging in diverse social relationships, have a clear awareness of how you behave. Makes sure it does not belittle anyone’s individuality or culture. This way, you can start having diverse social relationships.

Seek Out Diverse Perspectives: Often, our limited perspective keeps us away from having a socially diverse portfolio. When we fail to see a situation from the perspective of another culture or ethnicity, we might end up being insensitive.

For this reason, seeking out diverse perspectives is so important. You can practice doing this by being more aware. Study social issues, educate yourself, and participate in movements so that you can have a diverse perspective.

Talk To More People: One of the best ways to create a socially diverse portfolio for yourself is by talking more with people. This includes inviting your friends and colleagues from different backgrounds, ethnicity, and culture.

Talking to more people also ensures that you can get a clearer picture of diversity and appreciation. This will allow you to have a large social circle that can improve your well-being significantly.

Cultural Respect: Cultural respect and appreciation are vital for building a socially diverse portfolio. You can start showing your friends and colleagues that you value their backgrounds. This will also allow you to learn multiple things about different heritage and ethnicities.

The practice of cultural respect can start with simple greetings, and compliments, to celebrate different festivals together. This ultimately builds strong social relationships. In this way, you can build socially diverse relationships and portfolios for positive outcomes.

Modern studies and research show how important inclusivity and diverse relationships are for our well-being. So, we must start the practices for having diverse relationships around us today. If you want to share more on this topic, join our forum. Register now to become a member to join the movement.