Human beings are social animals, and the tenor of our social life is one of the most important influences on our mental health.
Our life depends on other humans. Human infants are born unable to transport or care for themselves. Their survival depends on other human’s effort.
Our connections to others are key to not only our survival, but also to our happiness and the success of our careers.
“Each friend represents a world in us, a world probably not born until they arrive, and only by this meeting that a new world is born”.
Social Animals:
With hundreds of miles open to habitation, people still tend to build their houses close to the houses of other people. No matter the continent, the culture, no matter the era, this is what we do. And to find an individual choosing to live completely alone is very rare as to confirm that human beings need to amongst each other. Humans are social animals: it is our nature to be so.
As individuals we could survive living all alone, but if we did, our species would not. We stay together to protect and teach each other.
Who we are comes not only from our own senses and memories, but also from the groups we belong to. Some cultures and societies may emphasize one over other, but neither identity can be denied.
When individual members share what they know with the group, it strengthens all in the group. It is how we grow and learn.
A person’s temperament is formed by many things: our experiences, how we taught to act and react, and even some intangible inner qualities we are born with.
But what we think of ourselves –or self-esteem- is fashioned in large part by what we think other people will think of us. Our self-worth depends on our notion of how worthy we are to others, and on how we were taught by others to view ourselves.
From nowhere but the relationships we have with others can come pride, love, honor, shame, trust, envy or hate.
Benefits of Being Social:
Overcoming Loneliness:
Those who are socially isolated are more prone to loneliness. Sometimes we want to be alone at but other times we sense a deep longing to be with others. Loneliness can be brought about through relationship breakdown, distancing ourselves from others when we are hurting, or when moving to new area. However, there is only one cure for loneliness- be with other people. We overcome loneliness by being with other people.
Health Benefits:
The people who surrounded by others in various social activities have a lower risk for loneliness. It helps to boost our brain power and helps to live a healthier life.
Add years to our Life
A strong social network is more crucial to physical health than exercising and beating obesity. And friendships, whether those friends are near or far, increase our chances for a long, healthy life.
Reduce the risk of Stroke
Spending times with friends lowers our blood pressure and reduces inflammation in body, which in turn decreases the probability of stroke or other brain damage. Taking a trip to visit long-time distant friends, a leisurely lunch with old friends or a night out with buddies is a good investment in our health.
Boost our Immune System
Loneliness and isolation is bad for our brains as well as our bodies. Social isolation affects the brain and other biology and is disconcertingly associated with illness-both mental and physical. When we make an extra effort to include a lonely friend into our holiday, we are helping our own health as well as of our guest.
Encourage Good Self care
Having relationship with people to whom we are important has a positive effect on physical and mental health. It lowers stress and the tendency to depression. And, as long as our friends have health habits it also decreases the tendency to unhealthy habits .When we know we matter, its somehow easier to make the right choices for our own well-being.
Lower or delay the risk of memory loss
Any social activity that engages our brain and keep it active with stave off memory loss. But, interacting with friends is especially therapeutic.
Relieve Pain
Something as simple as holding hands with someone we care about lowers pain perception. Feeling connected to others is essential for our well-being. In fact, More than 100yrs of research shows that having a healthy social life is vital to staying mentally and physically healthy. So go join the party!
Practical Benefits:
Social people have easier times to find fun things to do. Making money is easier when you have the ability to negotiate, manage, sell, help others, and develop relationships with co-workers.
The biggest benefit from being social is that we learn more about ourselves when we are around people similar to us.
How to improve our social Life?
Be Wary of building walls:
“People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges” – Joseph F Newton.
The ego wants to divide our world. It wants to create barriers, separation and loves to play the comparison game. The game where people are different compared to us, the game we are better than someone else and worse than someone else. All of this creates fear and we build walls. It just hurt you always.
We need to build bridges instead of walls. We can build bridges in many ways. One way is to choose to be curious about others. Curiosity will be filled with anticipation and enthusiasm. It opens us up. When we are open, we will have more fun things to think and focus. Another way is to start see ourselves in others. To get that there is no real separation between us and other people. Think that everyone we meet is our friend.
Our relationships are in our mind:
All of the other people in our life are simply thoughts in our mind. Our relationships are all in how you think about the other people of our life. Our experience of all those people is only in our mind. Our feelings about our loved ones come from our thoughts.
How we choose to interpret people and our relationship makes a huge difference. So we have to take a look at our assumptions and expectations and thought habits. Find patterns that may be hurting you or always pleasant. Instead of just keep looking at our self as some sort of unmoving and objective observer of the world and reality. A Change in us could change our whole world.
Avoid being Boring:
Always be prepared to change the subject when we start boring others. One good way to have something interesting to say is simply lead an interesting life. And to focus on the positive stuff.
Focus Outwards, Not Inward:
Make more friends by becoming interested in other people. As we treat people, they will treat you. Be interested in them and they will be interested in us.
Genuineness is Awesome:
I think one of the most important things in any relationship is to be genuine. Few things are power full as genuine communication. People really like genuineness.
Open doors to new opportunities.
Connect with Like-minded individuals.
Connect with respected colleagues holding different opinions or perspectives.
Set apart as a thought leader.
Meet some new people.
Invite friends to do something new with us.
Do our best to accept every invitation.
There is nothing wrong with not being that into socializing. Liking to spend time alone. Not wanting to spend every possible second with certain people. Preferring more low key types of socializing over the more group oriented, louder, hectic types. Not enjoying formulaic, uninspired routine aspects of socializing. Not carrying about the same things most people are interested in. Not having the same values or priorities as most people.
While being less social is intrinsically Okay, it can cause issues:
Being less social leads to hassles for going against the norm.
It may lead to less developed social skills
Being irritated at being misunderstood can lead to friction.
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