By Andrew Ellsworth
MD
“No man is an island, entire of itself, every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.” This is the beginning of a poem from 1624. In it, the poet John Donne appreciates how humans are all connected. Indeed, humans are social beings, and social connection is a factor in our health.
We all know the importance of a healthy diet and exercise for our health. We are getting better at understanding the importance of mental health. One thing we do not discuss much, however, are the benefits of social connection.
Our relationships with family, friends, people at work and in the community have a major impact on our health and well-being. Those who are socially connected and have stable and supportive relationships can more easily make healthy choices and have better mental and physical health outcomes. Social connections can help us cope with stress, anxiety, depression, and hard times. Rates of most any disease are lower for those that feel a high sense of community. This includes lower rates of heart disease, strokes, dementia, depression, and anxiety. Social connection with others can improve sleep, decrease your risk of death, and reduce your risk of violence and suicide.
Similarly, marriage decreases your risk of disease. While you may not need to get married to have a life-long partner, the benefits of a long-term relationship are well established. Marriage has been found to help with lower rates of cancer, dementia, and increases your chances of surviving a heart attack.
Loneliness is becoming more rampant even as cities grow larger and transportation faster. We seem to have everything right on our phones to keep us company. Somehow, despite all these advances in technology, or perhaps because of them, people can feel ever more isolated and alone.
So how do we build community? How do we foster social connections? One way is to encourage face to face contact, to get people together. Schools, sporting events, churches, grocery stores, coffee shops, parks, concerts, festivals, and more all help to build community. Civic organizations and volunteering can help foster social connections and help us find meaning and purpose.
You can improve your social connections right now. You could call someone. You could consider going to a local basketball game, visiting someone alone in their home, or seek out a volunteer opportunity. When you increase your sense of social connection and community, you can improve your health. When you brighten up someone else’s day, you often brighten your own.
John Donne’s famous poem “No Man is an Island” ends with a warning: “Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”