Stay connected: How building relationships can lengthen life
Humans are social beings and crave connection. The absence of such leaves us isolated, lonely and risking a shorter—and even unhealthy—life as a result.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that people who have built satisfying relationships within their community live healthier, longer lives by reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, dementia, and depression and anxiety.
Additionally, the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine notes that building strong relationships can help people maintain a healthy body mass index, manage their blood sugar, improve overall mental health and lead to an increased desire to live when facing a life-altering diagnosis such as cancer.
The importance of human connection has been documented for decades. A study from 1979 showed people who had strong social ties were three times less likely to die than those who were less connected to others. This study even found people who had unhealthy habits—smoking, obesity, lack of exercise, etc.—but who had close social ties lived longer than those who practiced more healthy habits but had not built those strong social relationships.
On the flip side, one study found low social interaction to be worse than not exercising, similar to smoking 15 cigarettes a day and to being an alcoholic, and twice as harmful as obesity in terms of unhealthy effects on the body.
Needing to belong
Psychologist Abraham Maslow in 1959 outlined a hierarchy of five needs important for people’s psychological growth and development, highlighting the need for “love and belongingness.”
One of the biggest reasons building relationships can lead to better health and longevity is because connecting with people can improve our sleep quality, healthy habits, physical activity and our ability to manage stress, anxiety and depression. When we’re connected with people, we have an emotional and physical support system to lean on in good and bad times as well as a feeling of belonging. Left unchecked, stress has an adverse effect on our immune system, gut function and mental health, which can be detrimental to a long lifespan.
Connection is medicine, as one author put it. Here are a few ways to get your daily dose of it:
- Join a monthly group activity, like Yoga on the Lawn the first Sunday of every month in Jubilee, a wellness-focused master planned community in Hockey, Texas.
- Get to know your neighbors through community events.
- Ditch the technology and build relationships face-to-face with neighbors and friends through one of Jubilee’s wellness zones.
- Get outdoors together for a walk—Jubilee residents have ample trails to choose from.
- Engage with family and friends via a phone call, FaceTime chat or face-to-face meaningful conversation.
- Enroll in a class.
- Volunteer with a local organization near Cypress.
Invest in your long-term health and meet your new neighbors at Jubilee
