Healthy food, exercise, regular check-ups, rest, not smoking or overindulging with alcohol – ask most people the keys to good health and these will be their answers. However, in addition to these well-known standards, there is one other thing that is crucial to our well-being and that is being connected to and part of a community or social group. Yes, research has actually shown that social connectedness has a real, significant impact on our health- both physically and emotionally.
Being lonely and isolated was found to be as bad for a person’s health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, being an alcoholic, and not exercising. It was twice as bad for one’s health as being obese. Extreme loneliness was found to increase the chance of premature death by 14%, while strong social connection increased longevity