Connect and Thrive: An Essential Action for Vibrant Longevity
Friendship is good for your health. Literally.
If you were looking for an excuse to spend more time with friends, this is it!
The role that our social, family, and community activities play in our overall healthspan cannot be overemphasized. Current studies overwhelming link better health and positive attitudes about aging experiences with a robust social life filled with friends, family, or the chosen families that groups and communities can offer.
If you choose to be alone, that’s your choice, but you aren’t doing your longevity any favors. Sometimes it’s hard to make friends or feel included in groups, and sometimes people are left alone unexpectedly, for example when a spouse dies.
However, if you can’t get out into the real world due to anxiety or other complex issues, bring the world to you online. Studies indicate that even online connections can be helpful; in fact, they can be the only connection to others that some people have.
If you are mentally and physicaly able to get out into your community or connect with friends and family, do it often and enjoy the fun today--and the real benefits of continuing the connections as you age.
Consider these statistics about social connections and longevity:
People with stronger social relationships have a 50% increased likelihood of long-term survival than those with weaker social connections. Loneliness and social isolation are associated with a 26% and 29% increased risk of premature death, respectively.
Older adults with strong social connections and a variety of activities have a much lower risk of dying within five years, compared to a higher risk for those with weaker connections.
Socially isolated older adults have more depressive symptoms, loneliness, chronic diseases, and pain. Try to make social connections now help protect you later in life.
If you want to thrive, MAKE CONNECTIONS WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
In person is best, but even some online connections can be very beneficial.
When the Pounce Pot refers to Connect & Thrive, we will review studies and articles from current researchers and suggest a variety of activities to keep you feeling less isolated:
Try out these activities to help you Connect & Thrive:
Attend Religious Services: Connect with your faith community and participate in social events.
Stay involved with your children or grandchildren: Help to babysit them, or help babysit for neighbors.
Volunteer: Share your time and talents at an animal shelter, food bank, museum, library, are museum, or school.
Attend planned community gatherings: Try concerts, festivals, farmer’s markets.
Join a book club: You can frequently find them in independent book stores, with community groups, and even on-line.
Take a guided tour: Take a staycation in your own town, or travel somewhere new with a group.
Reconnect with old friends: Perhaps someone you haven’t seen in awhile would love to go have a coffee or take a walk with you. Even a fun text can mean the world to someone.
Join a Choir or Singing Group: Make music and connect with others who share your passion.
Take Up a New Hobby: Photography, gardening, painting, or learning a new language can all be great ways to meet people and stay engaged.
Support Local Businesses: Frequent local shops and restaurants to connect with your community and its economy. Happiness increases even with a connection to people in our periphery! Listen to this podcast about happiness and those people you see over and over each day but who don’t really know you.
Join a Senior Center or YMCA: Many senior centers and Ys offer classes, activities, meals, and social events. Stay active and meet new people at the same time. After you’ve been a few times, you’ll start seeing the same people who often become friends. It just takes commitment, a routine, and patience.
Take a Class: Learn something new at a community college, continuing education program, or online.
Join a Gym or Fitness Class: Stay active and meet new people at the same time. After you’ve been a few times, you’ll start seeing the same people who often become friends. It just takes commitment, a routine, and patience.
Participate in Local Government: Attend town hall meetings, join a committee, or even run for office. Why not?!
Closer to home, Connect & Thrive by entertaining or meeting up virtually:
Use Technology: Connect with family and friends through social media, video calls, and online games.
Host gatherings of friends or family: Thanksgiving feast is my favorite, but even just coffee or afternoon tea with one other friend from down the hall can be rewarding.
Write to others: Have a morning when you write letters, emails, or texts to people you want to stay connected with.
Go for a group walk: Start a walking group in your neighborhood or just simply invite a friend or neighbor to join you on your daily walk.
Take an online class over Zoom: Even a virtual group can be super engaging and introduce you to new people. I met over a dozen new friends in an online meditation class. After 30 weekly virtual meetings, we had truly bonded, despite the fact that I don’t even know where most of them live! Virtual friend groups can often lead to in-person, real life activities like coffee dates, longer retreats, phone calls, in-person visits, or movie outings.
In Summary: Loneliness is Subjective
As the National Institute on Aging explains: “You can live alone and not feel lonely or socially isolated….” Loneliness is a subjective feeling that your mind creates. It’s clear that some people can still “feel lonely while being with other people.”
In other words, you can live alone and not feel lonely at all, or you can be around lots of people and feel lonely. Making an effort to combat loneliness and improve your mental health can have dramatic and positive impacts on your health. Take a deeper dive into their report here when you have a few minutes.
For an explanation of the Five Essential Actions to achieve vibrant longevity and active pro-aging, read here.
The Five Essential Actions are:
Connect & Thrive
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