Over the last year socializing has become substantially more difficult due to the unfortunate circumstances that Covid-19 has brought upon the world. Face to face interactions have become Zoom calls, meetings have solely been held online, and hanging out with friends has turned into texting and social media interactions. Socializing is the action or practice of participating in social activities or mixing socially with others. Socializing can also be defined as living or preferring to live in a community rather than alone and denoting or relating to human society or any of its subdivisions.
We as humans are social beings and Socialization produces feelings of happiness, reduces stress, anxiety and depression and even improves cognitive function, quality of life and longevity. Regardless of the circumstances, we remain in touch with our loved ones for these purposes.
Why do we need to socialize?
According to Mayo Clinic, “Socializing not only staves off feelings of loneliness, but also it helps sharpen memory and cognitive skills, increases your sense of happiness and well-being, and may even help you live longer.” As mentioned above, humans need to socialize to survive, but why?
“Social connections are important to happiness, health, and overall feelings of connectivity to society. Lack of these connections can lead to isolation, decreased self-esteem, and shorter lifespan. The negative effects of loneliness can start to set in within just over one day of not socializing,” PTSD Journal says.
The Benefits of Socializing
Although we may share some of the broader aspects of our social behavior with more primitive species, human social behavior is obviously more complex but no less important for our health and survival. Below are the benefits that socializing has on out mental health.
- Confidence and self-esteem.
- Increased quality of life.
- Reduced blood pressure.
- Reduced risk of Alzheimer’s.
- Boost immunity and other physical health benefits.
- Increased brain health.
- Promotes purpose.