Mapping the social biome: A reflective classroom activity for teaching relational communication and mental health

Courses: This activity was developed for an upper-division undergraduate course on mental health and communication. It suits interpersonal and health communication courses and adapts to organizational communication, first-year seminars, and other courses in which relational processes and well-being are central. It works in classes of any size, including large lectures of 45–50 students, and runs in a single session within a unit on mental health in interpersonal contexts.Objectives: The social biome mapping activity is designed to help students (1) conceptualize mental health as embedded within everyday relational communication rather than an isolated individual experience; (2) identify patterns of relational diversity, concentration, and depletion within their own social networks; (3) reflect on how communication practices contribute to relational immunity; and (4) develop intentional awareness of small, communication-based changes that may strengthen their social biome.