Next year will mark a turning point when people around the world finally realize that their health is not only physical and mental but also social. Social health focuses on relationships; it is the aspect of your overall health and wellbeing that comes from connections with family, friends, colleagues and community.
The focus on social health has accelerated in recent years. In particular, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought attention to our social life and its deterioration. According to Meta-Gallup survey, 24 percent of people around the world feel lonely. the Belongs to the Barometer survey of the American Immigration Council also found that 74% of Americans do not feel connected to their local community.
That sentiment correlates with changed behaviors: today, people spend on average 24 more hours alone and 20 fewer hours with friends each month than they did two decades ago; Participation in community groups, membership in local clubs, and participation in religious organizations have declined; and the proportion of single-person households has more than doubled since 1960. Another survey found a startling decline in the number of close friends adults have: in 1990, just 3% of Americans no close friends; today that number is 12% higher.
This crisis has prompted initiatives such as the US Surgeon General to raise loneliness as a public health priority and the World Health Organization to establish a global commission focused on human connection.
However, most people still underestimate the importance of relationships to their longevity. In fact, social health is involved increased by 50 percent on longevity, making it as important to our longevity as avoiding smoking, tackling obesity and exercising regularly. We urgently need to prioritize and invest in social health. Here's how.
Prioritize social health
For example, to be physically healthy, you nourish your body by setting a goal of walking 10,000 steps a day or sleeping 8 hours a night. For mental health, you can meditate daily or go to therapy weekly. Being socially healthy requires similar intention and consistency. Try the 5-3-1 Principle: aim to interact with five different people each week, maintain at least three close relationships, and spend an hour each day connecting, preferably in person . Just as each of us needs to consume a different amount of calories, these numbers may be higher or lower than what you personally achieve; Use them as a starting point to explore what your social health looks like.
Start small
Simple actions can make a meaningful difference to your social health. For example, studies have shown that people tend to underestimate how much they appreciate sending a kind message by text or email, and that even short phone calls a few times a week can help. can significantly reduce feelings of loneliness. So try connecting first: instead of scrolling through titles while waiting in line or turning on a podcast during your commute, text a photo to a friend or call a family member to chat. Unlike taking care of your physical and mental health, taking care of your social health also directly benefits the people you connect with.
Think big
With the mental health industry exploding, the next health frontier in our economy will focus on social health. Entrepreneurs and investors have begun to get involved, with innovations like social gyms, friendship coaches and AI companions becoming increasingly popular. But no matter your career, you have the opportunity to shape a healthier social future. For example, educators can teach relationship skills in the classroom; Doctors can screen for isolation during appointments; Architects can incorporate gathering spaces in their designs; City officials can support local community builders; and employers can create a culture of workplace connection.
Stretch your social muscles
Depending on your life stage and specific circumstances – such as recently moving to a new city and needing to build community in your new home, or working a remote job and wanting to get more face-to-face interaction – you may need to put in more effort. Your social muscle to expand your social network. But how? Research shows that friendships develop 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 moved from high school to college, finding that new friendships withered unless they were regularly in touch and active together. each other. Similarly, another study revealed that, for an adult who has just moved to a new city, it takes a minimum of 50 hours to turn a new acquaintance into a friend; The more time we spend together, the closer our friendship becomes.
Deepen existing relationships
Stretching means increasing the number of connections 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 confide in them—and you like the people you confide in more. Choose the right context: revealing personal information is felt by people you already know and new acquaintances in face-to-face conversations, but not necessarily by strangers in public settings. Go deeper than breadth: sharing something intimate will lead to more affection than sharing more information. A survey of more than 4,600 people in the US, India and Japan found that people across cultures find interactions more meaningful when they go beyond small talk to deliver valuable information. through emotional connection, knowledge exchange or practical help.