It is a known fact backed by science that people having good cordial relationships with friends and family tend to be healthier and happier than those who are not. Spending quality time socializing with friends and family can extend a person's lifespan, some studies have shown.
The question is how much time are you spending with your friends and family? Although, the recent Covid-19 pandemic and its attending social restrictions by the authorities. made socializing very challenging. The situation gave rise to technological ways of socializing through social media. Video conferencing solutions such as Zoom, Meet Up, and Microsoft Teams were available to keep people connected. If you cannot meet physically you can as well meet electronically. So there is no excuse.
Why Socializing Helps Longevity Is Unclear
Despite all of the studies which prove socializing is directly related to longevity, it's still not exactly clear to scientists why this works. However, ignoring the benefits of socializing could be counterproductive and fraught with great dangers. After all, there are many things in life that defy explanation but are real and factual.
One major factor the experts believe is the issue of stress. Daily life could be stressful, but having positive relationships with a partner, family members, and/or friends helps could help manage and reduce such stress, and consequently prolong life. This is a theory that is not far-fetched.
Another sound reason is that when a person is in a positive relationship with a partner, they will probably take greater care of themselves than if they were alone. They are also less likely to avoid taking dangerous risks as they want to be with each other's company for as long as possible.
Maintain A Positive Social Circle
Scientific studies have shown that maintaining a positive social circle can help increase your lifespan by as much as 50%. If you have difficulty forming positive relationships with others then there are things that you can do about this.
The experts state that if a person has only 3 positive social connections, they will reduce the risk of dying early by around 200%. So, the next time you are hesitating about forming a new relationship with someone, keep this statistic in mind.
When you have positive social connections, you are more likely to create positive changes in your body. Here are some of the things those good social connections can do for you:
- Improve your brain
- Boost your immune system
- Improve your heart health
- Improve your hormonal activity
All of these are good and will help prevent you from getting chronic diseases. So considering the amount of time you currently spend with your family and friends, what measures can you adopt for some improvements? The fact is your meetings do not have to be physical, a Zoom meeting or even a phone call will have a positive effect.
Improve Your Communications With Others
With improvements in your communication and social skills, your connections will be greatly strengthened. Everyone likes a good story so do a lot more things with your friends and family so that you have some great stories to tell.
You can share your past experiences and lessons learned which could help strengthen the bonds between people in your life circle.
If you do not have family members and friends living nearby or your options are limited for whatever reason then you need to make some new connections. You can be creative here. You can join a social club or online community group or even become a local volunteer. Learn new skills by taking classes, and making new friends at the same time. Anything that will bring you in contact with people.
Help To Support Others
There is a great deal of satisfaction to be gained from providing your support to others. You're better off giving than receiving. We all need the support of one another from time to time. But you're a lot happier maintaining a positive mood when you are the one providing support and help to others. Your confidence and self-worth go through the roof and this is a significant factor in living longer.
