There are a million diets, health tips, and pieces of advice about aging. Cutting out things like smoking and excess drinking, eating lots of dark leafy green vegetables, and getting outside for exercise all significantly impact your overall health and quality of life, there is one predictor of living a long life that stands out from the rest. If you had to guess, what would it be?

The answer is… Relationships. People who have deep meaningful relationships are able to navigate life’s stressors, have the support they need and live longer. Most people are more likely to go outside for that walk if they have a friend to go with, more likely to eat a healthy meal when they have a friend to share it with and have help when life gets hard.
While being self motivated is important; no one can make choices for you. There is a level of independence that becomes harmful. In the hospital, it is incredibly obvious that people who are surrounded, not just by people, but by supportive and loving people have significantly better outcomes. Even the sickest of patients feed better, have a better chance of recovery and overall improved quality when there is laughter, encouragement and love in the room.
Friendships and connection to others can be difficult to figure out in today’s day and age. Many people are lonely, and many people have large social networks online with few deeply connecting relationships that are there for them when life gets rough. What can you do?
While there is a spectrum of different types of social connections that appeal to people, everyone from quiet introverts to gregarious extroverts need some social interactions that are deeply connected. These interactions are more one on one, and contain a certain amount of vulnerability and trust. Finding people who aren’t just there when things are good, easy and fun, but people who will support you when life is hard and messy. Good friends will hold you.
It can be hard to find friends who are there for you when it really matters. Many people right now look for friends who share their same likes and dislikes, including interests, activities and opinions. This is the equivalent of looking for someone who has great abbs, or an expensive car as a life partner. Yeah it can be a really nice benefit to have a friend with the perk of similar interests, but it is more important to have a few good friends who share a deep sense of values, who you trust to be open and honest with, and who you know is there to support you and honor your growth.
Now it’s great to have additional friends to have fun and share connections through similar interests, but be sure to invest in the people who are going to invest in you. Make friends with intention. Also, be the kind of friend that you want to have. Invest time, and effort into people. Show up when it matters. If you do these things, the data shows, you are much likelier to have a happier, healthier, longer life, then if you try to go it all alone.
Comentarios