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Save-for-Later: 3 Togetherness Tips and Takeaways (Printable Sheet)
Article 7 Loneliness Facts & 7 Benefits of Social Connection
Evidence-Based Reasons to Fight Loneliness, Strengthen Social Connection, and Find Belonging in Your Community
Social connection and community belonging have an incredible impact on whole-person health, with impressive physical, mental, and emotional well-being benefits.
Conversely, the growing body of evidence of the health risks of loneliness and social isolation is so alarming, the WHO launched a Commission on Social Connection in 2023 to seek solutions.1
7 Ways Loneliness
Harms Health
Lonely people are more likely to be affected by health problems,3 including:
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Loneliness comes with a 30% higher risk of early death1—meaning a lack of social connection has as much (if not more) power to shorten lives as smoking, excessive drinking, or obesity.8
But while the negative impact of loneliness might be enough to scare all but the most committed hermit out of the house to make meaningful contact with others, the incredible health benefits of social connection are even more compelling.
What is Social Connection?
Although there are many ways to define social connection, it’s best explained as having two essential things:7
7 Good Reasons to
Seek Social Connection
In study after study, research shows that social connection supports:
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On top of the clear positive health and well-being impact, social connection influences how satisfied you are at work, your economic prosperity, and your overall feeling of being fulfilled in life.8
How Social Connection Influences Health
Feeling you have someone to lean on in tough times is only the beginning of why social connection matters. Research shows there are three key ways social connection (or the lack thereof) influences health:10,11
Whether it’s family or friends, research shows our closest relationships—having people you care for and who care for you—are the most important source of meaning, purpose, and motivation.8
That’s why the WHO isn’t the only public health agency to recognize the risks of loneliness and isolation—or the benefits of strong social connection. And why the U.S. Surgeon General also issued an advisory on the healing effects of social connection and community in 2023.8
And that’s the best reason we can think of to call, text, or write your friends, hug your family and say, “I love you” often, and participate in whatever community is most meaningful for you.
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