Beat the Loneliness Epidemic and Make Friends for Your Well Being and Overall Health

Humans are inherently social creatures.  We evolved through the sharing of resources and information.  Tribes and communities were the norm. As time progressed, we moved farther away from tight-knit communities and although with the invention of the internet, we can connect with people all over the world instantly, we are also very disconnected.  

Moving back to our roots of being close with the people around us, helps to grow strong connections and could be the key to happiness and health.  

Making and having friends helps you to better cope, be healthier, and can force you to level up in life.  You grow your social skills and get to feel apart of something when you do activities to make friends. You can meet lifelong friends and beat the loneliness epidemic when you embrace and welcome people into your life.  

Dangers of No Support

From this study, lonely adults were more likely to have poorer sleep and elevated heart rates.  On top of that, loneliness and depression have strong associations.  Being lonely for long periods of time, seem to contribute to immune stress and lower cognition in older people.  Lower cognition can also signal dementia and cognitive decline in later life.

Social isolation, such as in spouse-less or those with longstanding illnesses(arthritis, impaired mobility, etc), are at a higher risk of all-cause mortality.  This could be because they have no one to tell them when they need medical attention, or they overall have a lower quality of health.  

It appears as though, having a strong sense of community, leads you to live a healthier and longer life.  

Types of Support

Emotional - Emotional support helps you feel heard, deal with stress and worries, and feel like you have someone who will listen and back you up.  

Physical - Physical support is real tangible support, typically in the form of financial support, or goods and services.  

Companionship - Having a companion, not just in a relationship sense, makes you feel a sense of belonging as if someone is going through it with you.  This could be someone who goes to the gym with you or something as simple as someone sharing the same experience with you.  

Informational - Informational support is just what it sounds like.  It can be in the form of guidance or teaching or even decision making.  

Benefits of Having Friends - Importance of a Support System

Improved well being

Better coping with stress

Motivate you to make healthy choices

Feel cared about 

Feel apart of something bigger than yourself

Many types of needs can be met

Better sleep

Healthier 

Make it Not about You

Reaching out to people can be hard.  Sometimes, it can be easier to reframe it.  Think about the other person. They need a community as much as you do.  It might be scary to be the first one to reach out but having the idea in your head that it's not always about you, can help.  You can feel more empowered and excited to reach out when you know that they will feel good after talking to you.  

You never know how much someone else needs support until you reach out.  They might be suffering and just the smallest gesture can mean the world to them.  Not only can you use connections to enrich your life, but you can help other people do that too. Everyone needs a support system.  When you call/text/see this other person they benefit too.  

How to Make Friends(even as an adult)

Call your mom: Or your dad, or someone in your family.  Reaching out to family is a great way to have a support system.  

Join a Club: Have something that you are interested in? Chances are that there are other people in your area that are interested in it too.  If you like yoga, go to a class and talk to someone else in the class. Check internet forums for local people interested in the same thing you are.

Reach out to your friends: Everyone can get caught up in everyday life and seeing your friends can get put on the back burner.  Even just texting your friends or meeting for coffee for a short time can boost yours(and their!) mood.  

Go Somewhere: Even just walking down the street and smiling at the people you pass, helps to make you feel more connected.  When you radiate happiness it rubs off, even to strangers. If you’re feeling extra adventurous, you could strike up a conversation with someone you don’t know.  

Do Community Service: Volunteer at a soup kitchen.  Clean up trash in your city. Hang out at a retirement community.  There are so many opportunities to help make a difference. Doing something good for your community feels good and makes you feel like you are a part of something bigger than yourself.  Plus these activities line you up to make friends with good people.  

An Extra Note

Sometimes, in your life, you might not feel worthy of love or support.  It is important to know that wherever you are and no matter your circumstance, you are worthy.  To overcome loneliness and potentially social isolation, you might have to forgive yourself and let go of past pain.  You are better off talking to friends and family and building a support system, rather than suffering alone.  

There are clear benefits to having people you can talk to and, suffering or not, you deserve to feel supported.  

It is important, not only for you, but the people around you too to feel apart of something.  By building a community and reaching out to people in your life, you can improve your overall well being and the well being of others.  The key to mastering community, in this day and age, is to know when to embrace technology and when to put the screen down. Allow yourself to be fully connected with the person in front of you and to call or text people when you can’t see them.  

Everyone needs a sense of support, you can foster that in other people and nourish yourself at the same time.