by Dawn Hubbard, MD
People are innately social creatures. Even the most introverted crave social interaction from time to time. And, that’s good news. Social interaction is good for our minds, bodies and souls.
In fact, studies show when you have a satisfying relationship with a romantic partner, family, friends, neighbors, co-workers or others, you’re happier, have fewer health problems and live longer. In contrast, people who are lonely or socially isolated are linked to poorer health, depression and an increased risk for early death.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people with stronger social bonds have a 50 percent increased likelihood of survival than those who have fewer social connections.
The amount and quality of your relationships matter. A social connection means having meaningful and regular social exchanges, a close bond with others and a person to turn to for support in times of need.
Summa Health offers 5 ways socializing with friends and loved ones can make a positive impact on your life—both physically and mentally. There’s more to living a healthy lifestyle than simply eating well and exercising regularly. You have to connect, too.
Boosts mood and reduces stress
Socializing can reduce symptoms of depression by decreasing feelings of loneliness, isolation and anxiety. Research shows your body releases endorphins during positive social contact, similar to the physical response after a hard workout, which gives a boost of happiness, while reducing stress. That’s why people who feel more connected to others have lower levels of anxiety and depression. What’s more, the emotional support provided by social connections enables you to better cope with hard times, stress, anxiety and depression.
Improves quality of life and well-being
Increasing social interactions, such as going out with friends or joining a club, not only gives you a sense of belonging and connectedness, yet fun, to boot, to share experiences together. Plus, when people feel supported by others, they tend to have better self-esteem and a greater sense of purpose in life.
Reduces risk for chronic disease
Social connection can help prevent serious illness and outcomes. Loneliness can be a form of stress, which has been shown to increase risk factors for heart disease and many other chronic conditions, as well as weaken the immune system. Socializing strengthens your heart by lowering blood pressure and reducing inflammation, and gives your immune system a boost to help you recover from illness faster.
Slows cognitive decline
Socializing stimulates brain activity as it constantly engages and exercises the mind, which strengthens neural pathways to fight off cognitive decline. In fact, research shows older adults who regularly socialize have a better working memory, processing speed and verbal fluency.
Increases likelihood of making healthier choices
Social interactions can enhance good health through a positive influence on other’s lifestyle habits. If none of your friends smoke, you’re less likely to do so. In fact, studies show when a partner improves his or her health behaviors, such as exercising, drinking less, eating healthier, the other spouse or partner is likely to do the same.
If you weren’t already, hopefully now you are motivated to get out there and mingle—even if it’s once in a while. Join a group focused on your interests or hobbies, take an exercise class, like yoga or tai chi, volunteer at your local church, school, library or hospital, or lend a helping hand at your community garden. It doesn’t matter how you get involved; what matters is the social connections you make while doing so.
No doubt, we all need our personal space. However, it becomes harmful when it transforms into our preferred everyday lifestyle. Healthy relationships with people are crucial to the well being of every human.
Socialization is the process of interacting with people inorder to relate in a friendly way. It paves the way to connect with people by sharing opinions, thoughts and ideas with a view to maintaining a significant bond. It is a key to strengthening the bond with friends, family, neighbors and co-workers both physically and mentally. Socializing is an opportunity to close the doors of negative vibes loneliness and depression.
“Socializing is more positive than being alone; that’s why meetings are so popular. People don’t like being alone. That would be, however, an important skill to learn…” — Mihaly Csikszentmihaly
Isolating ourselves from people who can ignite the optimistic aura in us can attract a lot of unhealthy behaviours for a worthwhile lifestyle. Have you ever wondered why people critcize you for your personality? Or being tagged as a bored loner? Personality formation is built through connecting and mingling with people.
“The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.” – Carl Jung
Interacting with active people attracts a bubbling personality. More reason it is emphasized that mingling with postive thinking individuals helps shapes one’s attitude positively.
Socializing through social media and online networks can develop a false sense of connectedness. Physical connection helps a lot. Scheduling time to hangout with friends won’t give room for loneliness. You don’t have poke nose into other people’s businesses or spend the entire day out. It could just be a quick coffee meet up or few minutes walk with your neighbor.
“Face-to-face contact releases a whole cascade of neurotransmitters and like a vaccine, they protect you now, in the present, and well into the future. So simply […] shaking hands, giving somebody a high five is enough to release oxytocin, which increases your level of trust and it lowers your cortisol levels. So, it lowers your stress.”
– Susan Pinker.
WHY DO WE NEED TO SOCIALIZE?
Some months ago, a lady was chatting with some of her friends on the joy of being anti-social. However, after discussing with her for some minutes, she admitted to being ignorant about the benefits and positive impact brought by socialization due to the lifestyle she once took joy in. Three reasons on why socialization is important will be discussed subsequently.
— TO PUT OUR PERSONALITY TRAITS IN CHECK:
For instance, when you are in the midst of maybe your friends or families, connecting. And you foul up, they will surely correct you. If you shut yourself from the face of the world, you won’t be able to detect that personality of yours that needs to be changed.
Not socializing also accompany bad habits as guests. It might result you to be an addict of smoking, drinking or other misdemeanours. No matter how determined of a loner you are, you will still crave for social contact from time to time. Being among people, that is positive minded humans will make you sporadically do things that will give your personality a bad odour.
— TO ASCERTAIN MORE KNOWLEDGE:
No doubt, we learn everyday. Some might say they don’t need to mingle with people in order to discover new things. You hear them say ‘social media is more than enough to update one’s knowledge’. I won’t dispute the fact that social media can be very helpful to discover a lot of things.
Nevertheless, social learning greatly differs from learning online.
“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”
– Prof. Lieberman.
Learning from socializing with people shapes one’s mentality and approach to life primely. Through social learning you acquire knowledge by watching and interacting with people. You will be opportuned to learn from someone’s mistakes.
— FOR HAPPINESS AND LONGEVITY:
Dear loners, won’t you be elated by being rewarded with a healthy lifestyle, plastered duchenne smile constantly, being happier and lively?I’m sure you would. Therefore, you need to go out there and meet up with people. Some friendship results to negative influence on our way of life or well being. But, there are loads of good things gained from maintaining a supportive relationship. Take some time and evaluate the people you connect and spend fun time with. You need to opt out of the only collegues circle. Go out there, meet up and connect with optimistic minded individuals. It helps a lot.
