Importance of Social Connection

I just came back from a visit to Nova Scotia to see family and my longest-best friend, Krista. It was a really good trip. I am grateful to be able to travel and to have the opportunity to connect with loved ones.  I enjoyed spending time with my Dad.  One evening we had dinner with my nephew Michael at  a restaurant that I have been visiting since I was in high school. It was a really special evening as you can see by our happy faces in the attached picture.

Dad and I went for some wonderful walks including walking the park near where I grew up on the Northwest Arm. We had meaningful conversations and I helped him clean out drawers and closets in his condo.

My visit with Krista and her sweet man of a husband, Grant, was likewise meaningful. We shared great food and good conversation. One morning Krista took me to the yoga studio she belongs to for a really good hot yoga class.

The point of this review of my few days away is to talk about the importance of human connection as part of a well-lived healthy life. Do you believe that healthy social connections are vital to physical and emotional well-being?

Lisa Berkman, director of the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies and Thomas D. Cabot Professor of Public Policy and of Epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, cited other studies that have suggested that social isolation carries a risk of mortality that’s similar to that of other major risk factors, such as smoking.

Berkman said that the stress of isolation can weaken people’s immune systems, making them more susceptible to infectious diseases. She also noted that people with strong social connections tend to have better health behaviors, like eating healthy foods and being physically active. Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health Newsletter, 2019.

I had an opportunity while away to remember that social connection is not just enjoyable for me, it is imperative. I feel connected, mentally healthy, supported, powerful,  and physically healthy when I am spending time with people I want to spend time with.  It is not just long term relationships that provide meaningful human connection, a casual friend can also provide that needed human connection. This happened to me on the way into Orange Theory Fitness for my 6:05 am class. One of my workout buddies told me that my car’s rear light was out. This meant he knows my car and cares enough to mention it is in need of attention. To top it off as we were leaving he made a point of telling me to not forget to call and make an appointment for my car. He was not obligated to provide me necessary information nor to remind me. Whether our connections run deep like a 50 year friendship or a casual friendship at the gym- they matter. Share your heart, your time and your kindness- it will come back to you.