Show Many of us threw caution to the wind and filled our holidays with family and friends - enjoying good conversation, exchanging hugs, ideas, and kind words of love and support. An invigorating and much needed dose of human interaction after nearly a year of oppressive social restrictions caused by COVID-19. But, sadly, the COVID virus did not vanish with the dawning of a new year and we are advised to settle back into our “new normal” routine of mask wearing, social distancing, quarantining, etc. It seems like a good time to talk about the importance of staying connected and nurturing our social relationships, even during the COVID pandemic …. Scratch that… ESPECIALLY during the COVID pandemic! Why are social relationships important?Human beings are inherently social, as are most animals. It is the way of nature. Heck, even ants exhibit social behaviors! Though, as humans, our social relationships are much more complex and fulfilling. They provide us with a sense of connection, purpose, support and, ultimately, overall better health and longevity. Dozens of studies have shown that people who have fulfilling relationships with family, friends and community members are happier, have fewer health problems, and live longer. Scientists have found that connecting with others helps relieve harmful levels of stress. As most of us are aware, chronic stress can be detrimental to your mental and physical health, and contribute to many serious health problems. Some research even suggests that the act of caring for another person can release stress-reducing hormones for both the giver and receiver. The alleviation of stress is not the only health benefit to come from having strong social connections. We also learn healthy habits that help us to better care for ourselves, from others. Then of course, there is the obvious… when you are in a nurturing relationship, both parties tend to vest in each other’s health and well-being, as well as their own, because they want to stick around for each other. Unfortunately, about a third of Americans lack these strong social relationships and, in turn, are putting their health at significant risk. “Lacking social connection carries a risk that is comparable, and in many cases, exceeds that of other well-accepted risk factors, including smoking up to 15 cigarettes per day, obesity, physical inactivity, and air pollution.” - Julianne Holt-Lunstad, PhD, professor of psychology at Brigham Young University What are the health risks for people lacking strong social relationships?It has been well established that prolonged social isolation, even in healthy, well-functioning individuals, will eventually result in psychological and physical disintegration, and even death. [1] People without strong quality social relationships are at a much higher risk for:[2]
“Being connected to others socially is widely considered a fundamental human need — crucial to both well-being and survival. Extreme examples show infants in custodial care who lack human contact fail to thrive and often die, and indeed, social isolation or solitary confinement has been used as a form of punishment,” said Julianne Holt-Lunstad, PhD, professor of psychology at Brigham Young University. “Yet an increasing portion of the U.S. population now experiences isolation regularly.” Why are so many people experiencing loneliness and lack of social connection?Social isolation, loneliness, and relationship distress are on the rise. Even before COVID, the United States was experiencing a serious epidemic - a loneliness epidemic. According to a Loneliness Study by AARP, approximately 42.6 million adults over age 45 in the United States were estimated to be suffering from chronic loneliness. Even more alarming, is that loneliness statistics are eerily similar for teens and young adults, age 18-22. Some of the suspected factors for the rise in loneliness and social disconnect include:
How can I build and nurture social relationships?Now that you aware of the importance of social relationships to your physical and mental health, you may be wondering how you can build a strong social network. Here are some tips: Start with existing relationships. Nurture relationships you already have by reaching out. It’s as easy as picking up the phone or sending a text, email or card. Turn your work colleagues into friends. If you have someone at work that you feel you might have a connection with, then don’t be afraid to explore that relationship by engaging in conversation. You already have work in common, so see what else you might have in common. Look for opportunities to be social. Granted COVID has put a damper on some social opportunities, but there are still opportunities to safely interact with new people, you just have to look for them. If you don’t feel comfortable being around a large group, then take part in activities involving smaller groups. Join a group. Think of an activity you enjoy and see if there is a local group or club that meets to engage in that activity. If you aren’t ready to engage face to face with strangers, consider joining an online group or community that shares your interests. Volunteer. Volunteering is a great way to meet people. Plus, volunteering has been proven to elevate mood and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. Though you may not be able to volunteer at a senior care center or hospital under the current COVID restrictions, you may still be able to volunteer at your local food bank, animal shelter, highway or park clean-up, etc. Take a class. If you like to learn new things, explore classes being given at your local library, community center, or college outreach. You could even take a yoga class or some other type of exercise class. Taking a class gives you the opportunity to meet other people interested in self-improvement. Get a pen pal. If you enjoy writing, you can correspond and build rewarding relationships through a pen pal program, such as Soldiers’ Angels, Paper Bridges, and more. Practice effective communication. Make the most of your social opportunities by practicing effective communication skills. Be approachable – smile, make eye contact and maintain open body language. Draw people into conversation, ask open ended questions, actively listen, and ask follow-up questions. Be empathetic and supportive. Share similar interests, stories, and advice. If you have difficulties interacting with others or suffer from a mental health disorder that causes you to self-isolate, please reach out to a mental health professional for help. Related Articles Cultivating Mental Health: The Importance of Social Relationships References [1] Debra Umberson and Jennifer Karas Montez, 2011, Social Relationships and Health: A Flashpoint for Health Policy, National Center for Biotechnology Information. Jan. 11, 2021. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3150158/ [2] Harvard Women's Health Watch, 2019, The health benefits of strong relationships, Harvard Health Publishing/Harvard Medical School. Jan. 11, 2021. https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/the-health-benefits-of-strong-relationships [3] James House, Karl Landis, Debra Umberson, 1988, Social Relationships and Health, The University of Utah. Jan. 11, 2021. http://www.math.utah.edu/~lzhang/teaching/1070spring2012/Daily%20Updates/examples/feb1/Social%20Relationships%20and%20Health.pdf We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Here’s our process. Humans are born into social groups and live their entire lives as a part of society, so the social element can’t easily be removed from the evolution of an individual. But how does social contact affect our health? Share on PinterestWe are social beings, and interacting with people is in our nature. But it also brings us benefits on a mental and physical level. As human beings, we dream, learn, grow, and work as part of society. The society that we’re born into and the societies that we navigate throughout our lives shape our personal identities. And in fact, so keen are we to communicate with each other — even beyond geographical limitations — that we’ve developed a plethora of tools to help us achieve that, including pen and paper, telegraph, telephone, and the Internet. When I asked my colleagues in the Medical News Today office what benefits — if any — they thought that they derived from social connection, most of them said that they found some measure of comfort in social interaction. Some colleagues said that they enjoyed the shared experiences, whereas others explained that friends kept them motivated to do “some healthful activities from time to time.” Others said that being around friends helped them to “destress and put things into perspective.” Even the most introverted among us crave social contact from time to time. But why is that, and does being social bring us any actual health benefits? In this Spotlight, we investigate why humans thrive in society, and how social interaction impacts our mental and physical well-being. It may be intuitive to say that being social has helped our species to not only survive but also thrive over millions of years. But why is that so? A study from 2011, which was published in the journal Nature, argues that being social became a key strength for the primate ancestors of humans when they switched from foraging for food by night (so that they could use darkness as a shield) to carrying out their activities by day (which rendered them more vulnerable to a wider range of predators). Another more recent study — also in the journal Nature — suggests that early hominids may have evolved a basic form of language because they needed more advanced communication to share ideas. This, they say, helped our ancestors to develop tools that allowed them to live better and evolve further. Researchers have also suggested that humans are innately compassionate beings, and that our compassion and empathy have served us well — since the capacity to care and share is highly valued by individuals looking for a mate. After all, in order for a species to survive, its members have to not only procreate, but also be able to shield their offspring from harm and shield peers from injury, so that they can derive strength from collaboration in the face of adversity. Psychologist Susan Pinker states that direct person-to-person contact triggers parts of our nervous system that release a “cocktail” of neurotransmitters tasked with regulating our response to stress and anxiety. In other words, when we communicate with people face-to-face, it could help to make us more resilient to stress factors in the long run.
She adds that, as a result of social interaction, “dopamine is [also] generated, which gives us a little high and it kills pain, it’s like a naturally produced morphine.” This idea is corroborated by the findings of a study covered by MNT last year, which concluded that the touch of a romantic partner can actually help to relieve physical pain. Another study from last year showed that those undergoing chemotherapy for cancer tend to fare better if they have access to social support and interaction, suggesting that just by being around family, friends, or peers going through similar experiences can strengthen us both mentally and physically. Research has shown that by interacting with others, we actually train our brains. Social motivation and social contact can help to improve memory formation and recall and protects the brain from neurodegenerative diseases. Share on PinterestWhen we learn with the purpose of sharing our knowledge with others, we learn better. Prof. Matthew Lieberman — from the University of California, Los Angeles — specializes in the mechanics of what he calls our “social brain,” which is the neural activity related to social interaction, and the brain benefits that are afforded by it. He has seen, for instance, that “if you learn in order to teach someone else, then you learn better than if you learn in order to take a test.” This goes against the prominent beliefs in modern educational systems, in which learning on one’s own, for the sake of accumulating knowledge and skills, is typically preferred. Instead, however, Prof. Lieberman notes that “when you’re socially motivated to learn, the social brain can do the learning and it can do it better than the analytical network that you typically activate when you try to memorize.” A study published last year also found that maintaining close friendships later in life could help to prevent mental decline. The research — led by scientists at the Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease Center at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, IL — found that “SuperAgers,” defined as people aged 80 and above but who have the mental agility of much younger people, appear to have one thing in common: close friends. “While both SuperAgers and [their peers with average cognitive performance] endorsed high levels of psychological well-being,” explain the authors, “SuperAgers endorsed greater levels of positive social relationships than their cognitively average-for-age peers.” Several recent studies have also linked social connection with physical health benefits, and better habits with a more healthful lifestyle. Researchers at Maastricht University Medical Centre in the Netherlands saw that socially active individuals have a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes. In contrast, individuals who did not participate in social activities, such as going out with friends or joining a club, had a 60 percent higher risk of developing a condition called “prediabetes,” which generally predates diabetes. It might be that just being around people who encourage us to keep healthful habits or achieve challenging lifestyle goals could help us to remain mindful of our eating, exercise, and other lifestyle-related habits. A recent study has also found that people who exercised in a group rather than on their own had decreased stress levels and had better mental and physical well-being at the end of a 12-week fitness program. Their peers who went for solo fitness sessions, or who exercised with only one partner, did not experience the same improvements. “The communal benefits of coming together with friends and colleagues, and doing something difficult, while encouraging one another, pays dividends beyond exercising alone,” notes the study’s lead author. Finally, enjoying close social ties — with friends, partners, or family members — can make us happy and improve our overall life satisfaction in the long run. Share on PinterestAn active social life has been linked to a stronger sense of well-being and a longer life span. Studies have shown that those who enjoy close friendships over their teenage years aren’t just happy as adolescents; they also have a lower rate of depression or anxiety later in life. Similar trends have been observed in the case of older adults. Research published in 2016 revealed that seniors who “liv[e] a socially active life and prioritiz[e] social goals [have] higher late-life satisfaction.” Interestingly, researchers who have studied the inhabitants of so-called Blue Zones around the world — places with a high number of SuperAgers who live to ripe old age while maintaining good health and cognitive function — have noted that while other elements related to diet and lifestyle varied widely, they all appeared to be dedicated to being highly socially active. Dr. Archelle Georgiou, who studied SuperAgers on the isolated island of Ikaria in Greece, saw that they were constantly surrounded by family, neighbors, and other members of their community, and that they all actively supported each other. Ikarians, Dr. Georgiou found out, got together almost every evening to destress and shed the worry load of the day. Similarly, the authors of Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, who interviewed the supercentenarians of the village Ogimi — in the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa — saw that being socially connected was key in these people’s lives.
The authors explain that members of a moai “maintain emotional and financial stability,” as all the other members of their group help them out if they’re in trouble or going through rough times. Granted, being socially active is not necessarily something that all of us can do all the time. We just need a little space sometimes, and that’s O.K.; enjoying our own company helps us to get to know ourselves better and develop some of our inner strengths. However, at least occasionally, socializing with people — whether they’re our close friends or new acquaintances — can allow us to get out of our own heads a little and gain fresh insights about the world. Being happier, learning better, and living longer are all advantages that should motivate even the most dedicated of loners to get out there and mingle. Now close your browser and give that old friend of yours a call. |