By Caroline Russell
In 2023 U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy declared a loneliness epidemic affecting nearly half of American adults and warned of rates “higher among young people.” Humans experience loneliness when the natural need for social connections is not fulfilled. Starting at birth and continuing through adolescence, the first connections we seek are with parents, siblings, and family members. Familial connection for children grants companionship and security as they grow and venture into new paths. Dynamics within an individual's family have been shown to play significant roles in one's mental health and increase one's sense of belonging. Familial connections strengthen and give insight into future relationship dynamics.
Connections outside the family unit are just as important for social-emotional development. Friendship connections have been shown to improve happiness levels, individual confidence, and self-worth. Friendships are a pathway for people to cope during hard times and seek help or advice when needed. While having many friends is wonderful, more internal benefit is gained by building genuine relationships and connecting on deeper levels with friends. Building deep connections within a friendship establishes a strong support system that benefits you and everyone else involved.
Connecting with your community can also be crucial to an individual’s well-being, societal cohesion, and personal growth. Community connections provide social support and help navigate stress while combating feelings of isolation and loneliness. Strongly connected communities have been associated with decreased levels of stress and better physical health. Building a strong community is based on connecting with those around you whether that be in your neighborhood, local gym, church, clubs, or work. Prioritizing closeness with your community increases collaboration and cooperation skills, while also providing exposure to diverse groups with individual differences, experiences, ideas, and perspectives. Community connections are largely essential for enhancing personal growth, personal support systems, overall well-being, and a sense of belonging.
Fostering healthy relationships requires equal time and effort from both sides. Trust is a top priority in a relationship, which can be shown by living up to your word or being a safe space for someone to express their thoughts and feelings. Vulnerability can demonstrate to the other person that you have a willingness to share emotions and communicate concerns. Prioritizing check-ins can also strengthen your bond and relationship with one another. Reconnecting can be small gestures like sending a text, planning a meet-up, or just being there for one another in times of need. Being open to resolving conflicts within a relationship is as important as listening, seeking solutions, and being forgiving to prevent permanent separations from occurring. Fostering long-distance relationships can be difficult, but with technology such as call, facetime, and Skype, these social interactions can continue to grow rather than cause detachment. Remembering special events such as birthdays, holidays, and anniversaries with a card or small message can foster connections. Making efforts to visit with one another when possible can also continue to grow these relationships.
Social connections are shown to be crucial for both an individual's mental and physical health. Connecting with others enhances one's identity, self-worth, confidence, and sense of belonging. Studies have shown that adults with strong social support promote longevity and have a lower risk of health problems such as depression, high blood pressure, and unhealthy weight. Human relationships can all be messy at times, or result in misunderstandings, hurt feelings, and distancing. Nevertheless, regardless of the difficulties that come with relationships, the human desire to stay connected is never reduced. Since the beginning, our survival as a species depended on our ability to rely on and be reliable to others, and in our modern day, that case remains the same. Now more than ever, the importance of connecting with others and putting effort into your relationships has been made apparent. With this knowledge, we need to recognize it is never too late to reconnect with old friends or make new ones.
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