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We are all social beings. Being socially active means not just having a group of people that you have contact with. It is also about finding satisfaction in talking to and being around people and being able to get support from them if needed. Being connected to other people who you like and who care for you helps with confidence and feeling positive.
Research has shown that it helps your immune system, reduces symptoms of depression, helps you cope better with stress and keeps your memory sharp. Loneliness is a cause of both mental ill health and physical ill health. In fact it is just as harmful to your body as smoking.
Here is how you can be more socially active:
Contact a friend or family member. Keep in touch with your friends and family. This can be in person or by phone, video calls or social media. Take the initiative to give someone a call or set a weekly routine. If you read an interesting book or watch something good on television, then chat to your family and friends about it.
Get to know a casual acquaintance a little better. There are likely people you cross paths with regularly but do not know very well. Just listening can be a great way to connect more with someone.
Say hello and ask them about their week or how they are doing.
Challenge yourself to say “yes” to opportunities to meet with people. Challenge yourself to say yes if invited out somewhere . It can be fun to step outside your social comfort zone now and then. Afterwards get together for a coffee or tea or go out for a walk with someone you want to know better.
Be curious. Challenge yourself to try a hobby or interest with a new group of people such as a book club or a walking group. There may also be social opportunities that involve many activities you already enjoy.
Be part of a like-minded group. Seek out local group activities such as social clubs, walking groups, or local places of worship like churches, mosques, or synagogues.
Read more
How social connections keep seniors healthy
Connections Matter Beyond Blue
Volunteering- an Overlooked Cure for Loneliness
Promising approaches to reducing loneliness and isolation in later Life
All the Lonely People: Loneliness in Later Life
The missing million: a practical guide to identifying and talking about loneliness
If you’re feeling lonely: How to stay connected in older age
See more
Loneliness Challenges: What Do Older People Say?
For enquiries about Live Well contact Dr Carmelo Aquilina, Director of Older People’s Mental Health Service of the South Western Sydney Local Health Service, at SWSLHD-FOH@health.nsw.gov.au.