One of the biggest challenges Covid has brought is our ability to stay connected with friends and family.Border closures and lockdowns mean many of us have had to deal with extended separations from loved ones.It's brought the topic of social connection into the spotlight, and with good reason. Dr Marissa Kelaher explains.
Social connection is a part of health we often take for granted, yet it’s one of the strongest predictors of health and longevity.
We are hardwired to be social creatures - the gene for kindness is one of the oldest genes in our DNA.
Having social connection is having a life where other people play a vital part - for emotional, physical, and practical support.
It includes socialising (spending time with others), social support (having others we can rely on to help us) and sense of belonging (feeling included and valued).
Loneliness impacts on our physical and mental health - studies show that people who are chronically lonely have a higher risk of early death, high blood pressure, insomnia, heart attacks and strokes, dementia, and poor mental health.
In contrast, having strong social connections reduces inflammation, improves immunity, switches on 'anti-ageing' genes, lowers blood pressure, and protects our brains.
A famous study from Harvard University followed a group of men over 75 years and found that the single most important predictor of health was having strong social connections.
Connecting with others affects our health by buffering against the negative physical effects of stress via its effect on our nervous system.
It activates our parasympathetic (rest and digest) system, counteracting the fight or flight response we have to stress. Even short positive interactions drop our blood pressure and heart rate and increase energy.
Being kind and connecting with others releases several hormones from our brain:
When we are connected with others, we're also more likely to look after ourselves when stressed, ie eat well, exercise, sleep, and avoid harmful substances. We also stay more focused and are less likely to give up.
One of the most important parts of social connection is not necessarily how many friends we have, but how close we feel to them, and knowing we can rely on them.
If you are feeling lonely or want to improve your social connections, try these tips.
And if one thing doesn't work, try another - there's nothing to lose.
