How Can Social Connections Impact Overall Well-Being?

Our emotional well-being is correlated with the social connections that we gain along the way. well being is a very important topic of research which has gained popularity for some time now. As people wanted to understand about how to live a happy life, they started focusing on how to make it happen and all of that revolves around well-being. A study published in The Journal of Positive Psychology explores these three variables over a 13-year time period to better explore the relationship between social connections and wellbeing. Positive variables in our life are linked to wellbeing and we have been made aware of that, but, it is not completely clear on how relationships also play a very important role.

How Can Social Connections Impact Us Mentally?

There are certain things about our social connections that we might have realized on our own too, for example:

Negativity around us can bring us down
It can cause stress and anxiety
It can cause depression
Meaningful and supportive relationships can help us stay happy

Experts say that a person who is in a meaningful and supportive relationship, be it with their family or their partner r their sibling, it will help them achieve higher level of well being and also will improve their mental health. Agency, or taking control of one’s own life and experiences, is another factor that has been linked to well-being.

Impact Of Loneliness On Health

Just like negativity and negative social connections can severely impact our well-being, loneliness also has the same consequence. Moreover, it has an impact on our physical health as well. As per experts, loneliness has been proven to impact sleep routine, increase blood pressure, increase levels of cortisol (stress hormone in the body). Our immune system is also a lot dependent on our well-being and happiness. Loneliness can lead to a severe reduction in our sense of contentment. This is why social connection are very important. We are human beings who are used to live amongst people. When that goes away, our health also deteriorates. This is one of the major causes of poor mental and physical health during the lockdown.

This also majorly impacts older people. Older people who remain connected with others and have strong relationships are likely to:

Be more satisfied with their life
Have a better quality of life
Need less domestic support.
Have a lower risk of dementia and mental decline