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If you were to take one step to improve your health, what would you choose: changing your diet, becoming more active, or devoting more time to your friendships?
Most people know that diet and exercise have a huge impact on our health. But few realize that social connections are just as important. Numerous studies have shown that feeling supported and loved can help protect you against common diseases like diabetes, Alzheimer’s, stroke and heart attack. And the benefits don’t end there: in the workplace, good relationships are linked to increased creativity, job satisfaction and a lower risk of burnout.
The bottom line is that we should all put more effort into building strong, meaningful relationships. But for many, the idea of ​​having a fulfilling social life seems daunting. So far, the science hasn’t been of much practical use, as research has focused on environmental factors linked to loneliness, such as increasing urbanization and reliance on technology. Maybe that’s why people looking for the secret to building better relationships often turn to self-help gurus whose advice is based on anecdotes rather than data. But now there’s a better way to think about the problem.
In recent years, researchers have made great strides in identifying the psychological barriers that impede our attempts to build successful relationships and discovering ways to overcome them. As I explain in my new book, The Laws of Connection: 13 Social Tactics that Will Change Your LifeMost of us are unnecessarily pessimistic about our ability to build bridges with the people around us, when developing better habits is often surprisingly easy.
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Source: www.newscientist.com
