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The hiking trail is where my mind is free to wander and I typically record a voice memo or two so I don’t forget. This time I recorded an entire episode!
Social connection is more important than you may realize, my friend. In this episode I share an interesting tidbit I recently learned about loneliness and get you thinking about your personal spectrum of social connection.
Listen to my other episodes about Social Wellness:
Hack Your Happiness with Social Connection
Not That Kind of Social
Check out the Stanford Center on Longevity for yourself HERE
Learn more about my Wellness Hours on Wednesdays and Thursdays HERE
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MIDLIFE MUSINGS: SOCIAL CONNECTION & LONGEVITY
{MUSIC INTRO}
Hi, I'm Karli Newman. Thanks for listening to my MIDLIFE MUSINGS.
I'm doing something a little different for today's episode. I'm out on the trail, probably one of the last hikes I'm going to be able to enjoy until fall, at least here in Phoenix, because it's already really warm before 6am and the trails are actually closed because of excessive heat from nine to five.
Being out on the trail is one of my zen places. It's where I can just be, and inevitably my mind goes to things I've been thinking about but didn't know it. You know, the things buried in my subconscious.
I had an event earlier this month, during a weekday morning, where we discussed social wellness. It was a small group, so we were really able to talk about the challenges that we experience around social connection, how we make things work for us, and where we feel so lost in forming new social connections.
It was a meaningful conversation and it's still on my mind.
Social connections are so important to us as we age.
The Stanford Center for Longevity is something that I found when I was doing some research recently. And I found an article about the impacts of isolation and loneliness on our physical and mental health.
I found it interesting that when we're lonely in an acute state, we crave social connections. We want to be with other people.
When we are in a chronic state of loneliness, those desires are diminished. A person with chronic loneliness is more likely to hunker down and not seek out those social connections.
Can you picture how that might happen in your life? Going from loneliness where you crave connection with others and, without even realizing, moving into the territory where you no longer do?
We are human beings and social connection is so important for us.
Whether you are feeling challenged with your social connections or not, there can be a spectrum. There can be one end where things are very easy and low effort. There can be a middle ground. And then there can be the other side that are high effort. Within that range, you can foster your social wellness.
Think about the easy things. A smile to a stranger. A little wave to a neighbor as you're out on a walk.
A kind gesture is in the middle where you hold the door open for someone. Another thing in the middle ground might be having a little chit-chat with the person who's checking you out at the grocery store. A little friendly conversation.
Something on the more difficult or challenging side of the scale for you might be making plans with someone. Finding time in your schedule to actually fit in social time. Sometimes it feels like you're the only one making the plans so you stop doing it.
There are ways to work around your challenges that feel good for you. That's the key, to figure out what feels good, what feels right for you.
With the knowledge that social connection improves our longevity, boosts our immune system, my friend, please, make an effort.
Those things on the low effort, easy side of the spectrum, and those in the middle that you can do more readily without having to think too much? Fit in way more of those. Then if you can fit in some of the more challenging things, once a month, once every other month, whatever feels good and works for you, you're getting that regular bit of social connection, which is so important for you to live a happy long life.
Whether you're an introvert or an extrovert social connection is something you need.
I'm so grateful for you listening to my on-the-trail MIDLIFE MUSINGS today, my friend. If you want to chat with me about your social wellness, please check out my Wellness Hours. I hold them on Wednesdays and Thursdays. It's one hour where you and I can connect and talk about anything you want to talk about.
Do you want my advice? Do you want an accountability partner? Do you want to talk through a challenge you're having or celebrate a success? I am here for you. Go to flipsideofmidlife.com and check out my Work With Me page to learn more about my wellness hours.
I'll be back here in another two weeks with my next MIDLIFE MUSINGS, but in the meantime, you can check out my Wednesday episodes of FLIPSIDE OF MIDLIFE®️. They're out every Wednesday, and I love it when you listen.
Now go out there and get social!
{MUSIC OUTRO}