Next year will mark a turning point as people around the world finally realize that their health is not just physical and mental, but also social. Social health focuses on relationships; It is the dimension of your overall health and well-being that comes from connecting with family, friends, colleagues and community.
The focus on social health has increased in recent years. The Covid-19 pandemic in particular has drawn attention to our social lives and their decline. According to a Meta-Gallup poll 24 percent of people We feel lonely all over the world. The Related Barometer survey Research from the American Immigration Council also found that 74 percent of Americans do not feel connected to their local community.
This feeling correlates with changing behavior: Today, people spend an average of 24 hours more alone and 20 hours less with friends each month than they did two decades ago; Involvement in community groups, membership in local clubs and membership in faith organizations have declined. and the proportion of single-person households has more than doubled since 1960. Another survey found that the number of close friends that adults have is surprisingly declining: in 1990, only 3 percent of Americans had no close friends; today this value is over 12 percent.
This crisis spurred initiatives such as the US Surgeon General, who recognized loneliness as a public health priority, and the World Health Organization, which established a global commission focused on human relationships.
However, the majority of people still underestimate how important relationships are to their longevity. In fact, social health is linked to a 50 percent increase in longevity, making it as important to our lifespan as avoiding smoking, fighting obesity and regular exercise. We urgently need to prioritize and invest in social health. Here’s how.
Make social health a priority
To be physically healthy, nourish your body by doing things like walking 10,000 steps a day or sleeping eight hours a night. To stay mentally healthy, you can meditate daily or go to therapy weekly. Being socially healthy requires similar intentions and consistency. Try the 5-3-1 guideline: Aim to interact with five different people each week, maintain at least three close relationships, and spend an hour a day socializing, 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 consume. Use it as a starting point to figure out what social health looks like for you.
Start small
Simple steps can make a meaningful difference to your social health. For example, studies have shown that people tend to underestimate how much it will be appreciated to send a friendly message via text or email, and even short phone calls a few times a week can measurably reduce feelings of loneliness. So first, try connecting: Instead of scrolling through headlines while waiting in line or firing up a podcast while commuting, text a friend a photo or call a family member to chat. Unlike caring for your physical and mental health, caring for your social health also directly benefits the people you come into contact with.
Think big
As the mental health industry booms, the next health dimension of our economy will focus on social health. Entrepreneurs and investors are already on the rise, and innovations like social gyms, friendship trainers, and AI companions are becoming more common. But no matter what job you do, you have the opportunity to shape a socially healthier future. For example, educators can teach relationship skills in the classroom; Doctors can carry out isolation checks during appointments; Architects can include meeting spaces in their designs; City officials can support local community builders; and employers can create connected workplace cultures.
Stretch your social muscles
Depending on your stage of life and your circumstances—for example, if you recently moved to a new city and need to build community in your new home, or if, for example, you have a remote job and want more face-to-face interaction—you may need to stretch Your social muscles to expand your social network. But how? Research shows that friendships are formed through regular contact and shared experiences: the more time you spend with someone, the closer you become. For example, one study tracked students’ social networks for a year and a half as they transitioned from high school to college. It turned out that new friendships fizzle out if they don’t communicate regularly and do activities together. Similarly, another study found that it takes at least 50 hours for an adult who recently moved to a new city to convert a new acquaintance into a friend; The more time we spend together, the closer the friendship becomes.
Deepen existing relationships
Stretching is about increasing connection in your life. Toning is about improving connection quality. This requires curiosity and vulnerability. In a meta-analysis, researchers concluded that people like you more when you confide in them – and that you like the people you confide in more. Choose the right context: Disclosing personal information is viewed positively by people you already know and new acquaintances in one-on-one conversations, but not necessarily by strangers in public. Look for depth over breadth: Sharing something intimate leads to more likeability than sharing a lot of information. A survey of more than 4,600 people in the US, India and Japan found that people from all cultures found interactions more meaningful when they went beyond small talk and provided value through emotional connection, knowledge sharing or practical help.
