Staying Socially Active

Maintaining social activities and relationships throughout the lifespan is important to health and well-being. Engaged people are often healthier, happier, less depressed, and demonstrate enhanced brain vitality.

Benefits of Being Social

Social activity is good for a person regardless of who you are, how old you are, where you live, or what you do. Being socially engaged with friends, family, and various activities throughout the lifespan has many positive benefits:

• Improved social skills
• Improved academic performance
• Positive attitude
• Enhanced self-esteem
• A sense of connection to peers, groups and the community
• Reduced risk of illnesses and diseases including cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, certain cancers, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias
• Reduced risk for mental health disorders, such as depression
• Better brain health
• Overall happier and healthier lifestyle

Get Connected

Finding or creating connections is a key to social activity. Social connectedness includes relationships with family, friends, co-workers, and other people with whom you interact as you carry out daily activities such as your bankers, store clerks and health care providers. These may be people you consistently see or look forward to seeing, people with whom you have something in common, or people you trust. Social connectedness also includes various activities in the community or at home. The types of activities that engage you socially are endless, but it is important to try and seek or create an activity that is meaningful to you. By engaging with people and participating in activities that you enjoy, social activity can be easy, fun and fulfilling. Social activities include:

• Joining a community center, club or committee
• Organizing or attending get-togethers with friends, family or neighbors
• Going to a theater, movie, sporting event, or festival
• Travelling
• Eating out
• Volunteering
• Taking classes