NEW DELHI: It is still the time of the year when the commitment to staying healthy is high on the agenda, and New Year resolutions like eating superfoods and jumping onto the fitness bandwagon are etched in fresh ink. So, while the health buzz is strong,
I will draw your attention to the oft-neglected way to keep good health. Diet, exercise, sleep and stress-management are important, but there’s one more key to good health. I speak of the importance of social interaction. A friend’s mother, well into her 90s, has remained in the pink of health. When I looked into her diet and lifestyle, I learnt that she meets with a group of friends every evening to play a game of bridge. I also know of a 90-year old man, who runs a successful business in Delhi. He has a group of friends that meets every working day at 12 noon for a cup of coffee. No matter how busy his day looks, he makes time for these meetings.
The striking (and only) similarity between these two cases – and the countless others that I have observed – is the regular social interaction. Scientific evidence clearly indicates the health risk associated with loneliness. A metaanalysis conducted with over 30,000 people indicates that the risk of death associated with loneliness can be compared to the risk one runs by smoking. Moreover, the risk of loneliness surpasses the risk associated with lack of physical activity and even obesity. Obviously, there is no prescription for how to be social, and no set way of doing it right.
There are so many ways of incorporating this ritual into your life. Connecting with long-lost friends, offering community service as part of a group, or joining a club for a desired activity (playing cards was the case cited above), are engaging ways. Online communities are making it easier for people to stay connected and reap the benefits of social interaction. Being on a recreational team for singing or sports or yoga is a trend that is gaining popularity in the recent years.
When the extraordinary longevity of the oldest residents of Okinawa, Japan, was investigated, it was seen that these people truly nurtured their friendships. One of the residents said in an interview, “Getting together with my friends is the most important ikigai [a Japanese concept that roughly translates into ‘the happiness of always being busy’].” Humankind is a social animal and this very basic requirement should be nourished and nurtured in every way.