How social connections can improve your wellbeing

Social connection is more important to our wellbeing than we may realize. Loneliness can be a major issue as we age, while strong social networks – including family and friends – can keep our minds and even our bodies healthy and active.

What is social connection?

Social connection refers to the size and variety of your social network, which includes:

• The roles of different people in your network (friend, parent or coworker)
• The reasons for each of your relationships
• Whether your relationships are positive or negative

Having a mix of close friends, family, and acquaintances who you can engage with often is important because it can help you feel connected.

How social connection affects your wellbeing

A lack of social connection can have a negative impact on your wellbeing. The CDC reports that loneliness and social isolation can increase our risk of serious mental and physical health issues.

People who are at a higher risk for isolation may:

• Have one or more chronic health conditions
• Live in an isolated or rural area
• Have a language barrier
• Be going through a traumatic event

If you have strong social connections, you likely feel as if you belong in your community. Supportive social connections can have positive impacts on our lives and can help us live longer, healthier lives. They can even help to reduce the risk of chronic disease and serious illness like heart disease, stroke, depression, anxiety, and even dementia.

Having friendships or even casual relationships can also improve our ability to manage stress, our eating and exercising habits, and even the quality of our sleep. All of these are crucial to maintaining and improving our overall mental and physical health.

Ways to strengthen social connections

Making friends and meeting new people can be challenging for a variety of reasons. You might have trouble getting out of the house or you might be naturally shy, but making new friends can really help improve your life.

Here are a few ideas to help you connect with people and build a community and support system:

• Take a class online or in person to learn something interesting
• If you have a dog, arrange to walk it at the same time as a neighbor
• Volunteer with a group or a community organization
• Call friends or family on their birthdays
• See if the local library has events, like community movie night
• Get exercise and take care of your health so you can socialize
• Provide support to family and friends who need it

Get help

If you notice that you are feeling isolated, or that you have less contact with friends and family than you used to, make the effort to reach out. When you make a plan about getting together with someone, it will be easier to follow through and see them. Social connections are important for helping us lead long and healthy lives, so do your best to find ways to be part of your community.

You can also talk to your doctor. Your doctor may be able to refer you to a behavioral health specialist and help you find the care you need. Blue Cross of Idaho members can search for behavioral health specialists by logging into their member account and selecting Find Care to find a provider near them.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health and may be going through a crisis, you can call the Idaho Suicide and Crisis Hotline by dialing 988.

 

Written by: Blue Cross of Idaho

Published: October 2, 2024