You may be asking yourself, “Why is social connection a lifestyle medicine pillar?” And believe it or not, social connection has more to do with health and well-being than you may imagine! Social isolation and loneliness can be dangerous to your health and well-being. They are associated with greater instances of major psychological, physical, and cognitive morbidities, which lead to a greater risk of premature mortality. On the other hand, those with positive social connections have a 50% increase in survival rates than those without. Whether you are in recovery from a brain injury, ageing, or healthy that is a huge difference! And even more reason to call your friends and visit your family.
Poor quality or infrequent social interactions lead to poor health over time. Notably, inflammation, high blood pressure, and weight imbalances are common amongst those who are lonely versus those with a strong sense of community. Loneliness can often be worse for your health than other lifestyle factors, including smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and a sedentary lifestyle. Many times, loneliness goes hand in hand with these negative lifestyles.
The benefits of human connection go beyond physical health, even though they are a large contributor to that as well. Having strong social bonds can improve your mental health by reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. A well balances social life also enhances your emotional well-being, with a lower risk of substance abuse, better productivity, and improved sleep quality. Overall, these factors contribute to your physical health as well by lowering your risk of obesity and chronic disease.
If you have suffered a brain injury in the past or are a current client with BRN, it is more important now than ever to focus on your social connections! Beyond the physical, mental, and emotional benefits, social connection helps your brain function better too. Positive social interactions cause a release of dopamine which stimulates the pre-frontal cortex. This helps to improve concentration, organization, and focus which are important to help with the healing process.
Not to mention, as you begin to heal, social connection is an important tool. It may be scary to rely on your friends and family, but they are there to help you move into this new phase of your life. Also, finding the joy in the little moments, and having people around who love and care for you is the best feeling in the world. It can help you to feel more connected, look forward to events, and heal more quickly.
Many of us may be at risk for loneliness or poor social connection and not even realize it. Everyone’s preferred social connectedness varies depending on their personalities, job titles, families, and other external factors. But no matter your social preferences, it is still imperative that you get regular social connection in a variety of ways. Building and maintaining relationships take continual effort from all parties. But relationships should add to your life rather than put a strain on it. The continuation of our social network and role in society play into our social connection. We have our inner circle and family, our middle circle, and then our outer circles of connection. Each one is vital to feeling like we are connected, and there are ways to foster each type of relationship.
Our inner circle requires the most energy to maintain. This circle includes significant others, close friends, and family. These are the people we call on for support and strong bonds. Our middle circle makes up our acquaintances, former friends, classmates, and/or colleagues. This circle can change frequently throughout your life, especially as we age. These bonds are important for a more robust social connection. And lastly, our outer circle consists of friendly connections from the fringes of our lives. For example, those we see at school, work, or other community events can fall into this category. As well as those we regularly see while going at the grocery store or regular restaurants can be included as well. Being friendly can help to grow these bonds to our middle or even inner circle!
Social connectedness is important for our mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing. Here at Brain Rehab Network, we know the importance of community before, during, and after the healing process. Community is what makes us stronger and having those strong social bonds with those around us build us up when we need it the most. We foster our brain injury community and encourage you to do the same here, and in your regular life as well!
