The Power of Social Connection: Combating Loneliness for Better Health and Well-being - 2023 Thrive Practice #12

“I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection.” Leonardo da Vinci

As we near the end of 2023 I am considering so many things. But the one thing that keeps coming up are my friends and family. Those I love. I am blessed to be surrounded by my favourite people who elevate me and help me to thrive in my life.

I am also acutely aware that for many, loneliness is an issue. This “loneliness epidemic” is such a widespread issue that the World Health Organization has raised it as one of the greatest health concerns of our time. In fact, loneliness is an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality and has been linked to morbidities such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, depression and anxiety, suicidality and addiction, and cognitive impairments.

I would love for all of us to help build more connection and stronger community in our lives and the lives of those we love and serve.

Humans have evolved as social creatures. By engaging in social behaviour, we release oxytocin, the “bonding hormone,” and other hormones that are associated with positive emotions and mood regulation.

Social connection has also been shown to improve physical health. A study on individuals with type 2 diabetes found that people who joined in a 6-month social connection intervention had significantly lower blood glucose compared to the control group.

Social connection also appears to impact the longevity and quality of life in both men and women living with cancer. In addition, in a study of 734,626 middle-aged women, researchers found that living with a partner decreased the risk of heart disease mortality compared to living alone. The power of social connectedness is so profound that some research indicates that it might be even more important than other lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and obesity on mortality risk.

There is extensive evidence that social connection improves both physical and mental health outcomes. Given the toll that isolation has had on our mental wellbeing over the past couple of years, the need to develop social connections is apparent now more than ever. Here are some guidelines to help you.

Get Organized. I’m sure you’ve heard the expression that failing to plan is planning to fail. If connecting deeply with others is going to get some priority in your life, you’ll need to treat it as you do other priorities, starting with making time.

Quality over quantity. Increasing your social connection doesn’t mean you should friend hundreds of people on social media. According to Scott Gerber, the co-author of Superconnector: Stop Networking and Start Building Business Relationships That Matter, it’s not the number of social connections, but rather the value of them that is important. It’s better to have a small circle of quality connections rather than many connections, because it allows you to develop stronger and more valuable relationships.

Focus on The How. Hand in hand with scheduling time with the best people you know is being intentional about how you see them. As Marshall McLuhan famously said, the medium is the message—meaning, the form of the communication you choose is part of the message itself. When it comes to connecting deeply to others, you may have to put some real effort into choosing the medium, as it has a huge impact the quality of your relationships.

Choose face-to-face interactions more often. Even though we can connect to so many people virtually, the online world has ironically caused more loneliness than before. One reason for this is that we relate to each other through facial recognition of emotion. We can’t get the same quality of connection with someone over WhatsApp, Facebook, or email. If you can meet up with someone in person, that will create the strongest bond. If you are unable to meet up in person, doing a video chat is the next best option.

This month let’s take some time and spend some energy on connecting more deeply with the important people in our lives.

What practices are you using to help you flourish and thrive? Let me know on Instagram or Linked In.

If you want to learn more about thriving, I cover that topic in detail in my new book Powerhouse: Protect Your Energy, Optimize Your Health and Supercharge Your Performance.

Our VIIVIO health and performance app is designed to send you daily 1% Tips that can help you thrive in all aspects of your life. You can check out VIIVIO here.

We hope this information helps you get some perspective about thrive practices that lead you to an upward spiral of wellness!

Have a great month and Happy Holidays!