4 Reasons Social Connection Boosts Longevity

Increasing your lifespan requires constant vigilance concerning your diet, exercise routine, and sleep habits. However, your physical health shouldn’t be your only consideration. Social connections are also crucial to maintain brain health, emotional balance, and immune function. The larger your support system, the longer you may live. Learning how maintaining close connections increases longevity may motivate you to stay healthy.

However, it isn’t always easy to maintain close relationships. If you’re finding it difficult to make friends, recreational fun activities may help. Joining social groups, centered around favorite activities and hobbies allows you to socialize with like-minded people. Understanding how social connections impact your health can help motivate you to strengthen your relationships and prioritize meaningful interactions in your daily life.

Group of elderly people staying happy during holiday season having social connection in Fairview Adult Day Care Center.

Social Connection Can Increase Longevity

According to experts, quality relationships reduce the risk of several chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, depression, and dementia. Socializing does help to keep busy while having great time and good feelings. It may also improve your habits, encouraging you to exercise, eat healthily, and sleep better at night. Let’s take a look at the top benefits of socializing.

Lower stress and inflammation

Talking and laughing with others lowers stress hormones. Being around people increases feel-good chemicals like serotonin and oxytocin. They also keep you busy, leaving less time to dwell on unpleasant aspects of life, such as financial strains or other stressors.

Strong social connections help you deal with these issues as they arise. When you have reliable people in your life, you can talk about your concerns and receive the support you need. Your outlook, mood, and mental health improve.

Inflammation occurs during times of stress, due to changes in hormones, glucose levels, and blood pressure. According to studies, while low-quality relationships increase stress-related inflammation, high-quality connections reduce these issues.

Better brain health

Another benefit of social connections for longevity is the way they affect your brain. Recent studies determined that frequent positive interactions with others boost cognitive function in several ways. Spending time with others stimulates the brain, boosting communication and language skills. Memory also improves, as does global cognition.

These advantages increase when living with a spouse or close friend due to regular socializing. Those living alone may also show improved cognition if they frequently engage in social activities. Unfortunately, those with few quality relationships who frequently feel lonely don’t gain these benefits, so improving your social life is vital.

Stronger immune system

Your immune system doesn’t only activate when you’re fighting an illness. Experts state that it is always active and ready to respond to any illness or injury. Though a healthy body ensures a working immune system, numerous positive social connections affect its functions.

For instance, when you’re not feeling well, the immune system sends messages to the brain concerning social interactions. The better your relationships with others, the stronger your inflammatory response becomes, improving immune function. Also, when you’re sick, messages to the brain may increase your need for social interaction.

Emotional support

Supporting someone emotionally includes active listening, offering empathy and reassurance, and validating emotions without judgment. Such care and compassion are vital throughout our lives, during minor issues or major trauma.

Deep, meaningful social connections provide the emotional support needed throughout our lives. From early childhood to our senior years, those bonds build trust, social skills, conflict resolution, and a sense of self. Every stage of development thrives on the aid and encouragement we receive from others.

Resources:

  1. CDC, May 15, 2024, Social connection
    https://www.cdc.gov/social-connectedness/about/index.html
  2. Help Guide, Social Support for Stress Relief
    https://www.helpguide.org/mental-health/stress/social-support-for-stress-relief
  3. PMC, April 1, 2015, Social support, social strain, and inflammation: Evidence from a national longitudinal study of U.S. adults
    https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4028709/
  4. PMC, Dec. 14, 2022, Associations between social connections and cognition: a global collaborative individual participant data meta-analysis
    https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9750173/
  5. Clinical Trials, Nov.27, 2024, Body and Social Behavior
    https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05654441
  6. RAFT, Nov. 26, 2023, The Power of Presence: Offering Emotional Support Without Fixing
    https://www.raftcares.org/resources/community-blog/the-power-of-presence-offering-emotional-support-without-fixing/
  7. CASAT On Demand, Nov. 30, 2023, The Lifelong Impact of Social Connections on Well-being
    https://casatondemand.org/2023/11/30/lifelong-impact-of-social-connections/
This article is for educational and informational purpose only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. For any questions about your own health condition, speak to a qualified physician or healthcare provider.