Why is it so important to have a social life? Being an introvert myself, this statement didn’t quite resonate with me at first, but more and more I realize how important it is to have a social life in order to be happy and healthy.
First of all, did you know that people that have an active social life increase their life expectancy? This is a true fact! You might want to consider spending more time with your friends, family and colleagues.
PEOPLE LIVE OVER THE AGE OF 100 IN SARDINIA
This phenomenon has been observed in Tiana in Sardinia, Italy, where man are 10 times more likely to reach the age of 100 than the rest of Italy. This sounds crazy, but it’s actually true.
It is always easier to stay home and watch Netflix with your cat than to force yourself to go out and socialize, but avoiding loneliness and trying to socialize more will help you improve your overall wellbeing; mentally and physically!
AVOID THE EASY ROAD
When time comes to make a decision, our brain always tries to find the easiest way possible to reach the destination. Why is that so? Neuroscience explains it all. When you are confronted to a new situation, your brain comes to a fork in the road and it needs to choose wether to go left or right. Left would be the easy road, the road you always take and know by heart. And right would be the hardest road, the one you have never taken yet and scares you.
Often, when time comes to meet new people, to come out of the comfort zone, we tend to choose the left road, the one we know and feel comfortable in. That’s when you need to be conscious about this pattern and try to change it. Yes it will be challenging at first, but it’s like anything in life, you will get better at it by practicing. Challenge yourself, call friends, colleagues or acquaintances, schedule an activity or a night out. Start a new sport or hobby, join a club, learn new skills in group. Its the perfect opportunity to start those dancing classes you have always wanted to take! Stop postponing activities and just jump in it.
RELEASE STRESS, GUILT AND ANXIETY
Have you ever felt guilty and stressed out because you were not spending enough time with your family and loved ones? Well that’s exactly why you should take time to be with your family. Life can be very overwhelming because of work and responsibilities. It can seem almost impossible to find time to do everything we want to do and to be with the people that matter the most. But think about it for a minute, if you feel guilty and stressed, you are not doing what’s good for you. You need to divide your time in order to spend some of it with the people that matter to you. That way, when you go back to work and to your other responsibilities, you won’t feel guilty anymore. You’ll feel happy and good about yourself. You will feel that you have done what you had to do.
JUST HAVE A GOOD LAUGH
Did you know that laughing can improve your overall wellbeing? Laughter can reduce stress, increase immune cells, releases endorphins “feel good hormones” and can relieve pain. So don’t be afraid to be yourself, be silly and put the ego aside. Hangout with your friends and have some fun.
A SHORT TRUE STORY
My grandmother used to be a very active person while my grandfather was still alive. She used to take Aquaform classes every week, go to friends reunions, g to the knitting club and much more. But ever since my grandfather passed away, she stopped doing any of these social activities. I have notice that she started losing memory very fast. She used to be very lucid and sharp, but recently she is more foggy and tends to forget a lot of things such as recent events or activities she has gone to. My grandmother’s sister, who has always been very lonely and isolated, recently moved from her apartment to a retirement home. She started participating to many group activities, eating with people at the cafeteria, going to group outings, etc. My family and I noticed that in the space of three months her attitude completely changed! She used to be very silent and discreet, she wouldn’t talk much during family event, but now it’s the complete opposite. She became super outgoing, she has a lot to say and she overall looks much more happy and sain. What a 180 degree change!
THE GREY ZONE
Of course it’s good to also have your alone time, it’s not all black or white, but if there’s one thing you should really remember about all of this is that it’s important to challenge yourself and stay far away from the comfort zone. It’s too easy to take the left road. Turn right next time!