Give Your Social Health a Decent Workout

Next year will mark a turning point when people worldwide finally recognize that their health is not just physical and mental, but also social. Focuses on social health relationships; It’s your overall level of health and well-being that comes from connections with family, friends, colleagues and community.

The focus on societal health has accelerated in recent years. In particular, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought attention to our social lives and their decline. According to a Meta-Gallup poll, 24 percent of people Feeling globally alone. D Regarding the barometer survey The American Immigration Council also found that 74 percent of Americans do not feel connected to their local community.

That feeling correlates with changing behavior: People today spend an average of 24 hours alone and 20 fewer hours with friends than two decades ago; Involvement in community groups, membership of local clubs and involvement in faith-based organizations decreased; And the percentage of single-person households has more than doubled since 1960. Another study found a startling decline in the number of close friends among adults: In 1990, only 3 percent of Americans had no close friends; Today that number is more than 12 percent.

The crisis has spurred initiatives such as the US Surgeon General’s elevation of loneliness as a public health priority, and the World Health Organization’s establishment of a global commission focused on human connectedness.

However, most people still underestimate how important relationships are to their longevity. Indeed, social health is associated with a 50 percent increase In longevity, this makes it as important for our lifespan as avoiding smoking, combating obesity and regular exercise. We urgently need to prioritize and invest in social health. Here’s how.

Make social health a priority

To stay physically fit, you nourish your body by aiming to walk 10,000 steps a day or aim to sleep eight hours a night, for example. To stay mentally healthy, you can meditate daily or go to weekly therapy. Staying socially healthy requires similar intention and consistency. Try the 5-3-1 guideline: Aim to connect with five different people each week, maintain at least three close relationships, and connect for an hour a day, preferably face-to-face. Just as each of us needs to consume a different number of calories, these numbers may be higher or lower than what you personally are achieving; Use them as a starting point to explore what social health looks like for you.

Start small

Simple actions can make a meaningful difference to your social health. For example, research has shown that people tend to underestimate how much a kind message sent via text or email will be appreciated, and even a short phone call a few times a week can measurably reduce feelings of loneliness. So try going for the connection first: Instead of scrolling through headlines while waiting in line or putting on a podcast while commuting, text a friend a photo or call a family member to chat. Unlike taking care of your physical and mental health, taking care of your social health directly benefits the people you associate with.

think big

With the rise of the mental health industry, our economy’s next health frontier centers on social health. With entrepreneurs and investors already zeroing in, innovations like social fitness gyms, friendship coaches and AI companions are becoming increasingly common. But whatever your profession, you have the opportunity to shape a more socially healthy future. For example, educators can teach relational skills in the classroom; Doctors can screen for isolation during appointments; Architects can incorporate gathering spaces into their designs; City officials can support local community builders; And employers can create connected workplace cultures.

Stretch your social muscles

Depending on your specific life stage and situation—like recently moving to a new city and needing to build community in your new home, or taking a remote job and wanting more face-to-face interaction, for example—you may need to stretch your social muscles. To expand the network. But how? Research shows that friendships grow from regular contact and shared experiences: that the more time you spend with someone, the closer you become. One study, for example, tracked students’ social networks for a year and a half as they transitioned from high school to university, finding that new friendships fizzled out if they didn’t communicate regularly and do activities together. Similarly, another study found that an adult who had recently moved to a new city needed a minimum of 50 hours to turn a new acquaintance into a friend; The more time together, the closer the friendship becomes.

Deepen existing relationships

Stretching is about increasing the amount of connection in your life; Toning is about improving connection quality. Doing so requires curiosity and vulnerability. In a meta-analysis, researchers concluded that people like you more when you trust them — and like the people you trust more. Choose the right context: Disclosing personal information is perceived favorably by people you know and by new acquaintances in one-on-one conversations, but not necessarily by strangers in public settings. Go for depth over breadth: Sharing something intimate leads to more likes than sharing lots of information. A survey of more than 4,600 people in the US, India and Japan found that people from different cultures find interactions more meaningful when they go beyond small talk to provide value through emotional connection, knowledge exchange or practical help.