MAKE TIME TO SOCIALIZE
A powerful prescription: "Call a friend today!"
BY:MARY ELIZABETH TERZELLA
Imagine a prescription that reads: “Call a friend today.” That’s the kind of advice Jacob Jay Lindenthal, PhD, DrPH, professor of psychiatry at New Jersey Medical School in Newark, New Jersey, routinely gives patients. According to Dr. Lindenthal, having dinner or bowling with friends, mingling at the town social or discussing Pride and Prejudice in a book club can be a tonic for body and soul. “If you have an active social life, you are bound to live a longer, healthier and happier life,” says Dr. Lindenthal. And science backs him up.
Not only does research reveal that the most contented people have strong social ties, data from an overwhelming number of studies suggest that the wider our social network, the less likely we are to suffer colds, heart attacks, stroke, depression and premature death of all sorts. In fact, connecting with people at religious services or through civic or sports clubs appears to boost health as much as quitting smoking or getting more exercise, suggests a study in the American Journal of Health Behavior.
It’s not clear how social connections keep you healthy, notes Dr. Lindenthal. “Friends may motivate us to take better care of ourselves, help buffer stress or console us during times of trouble,” he says. “We are better able to endure life’s slings and arrows if we have someone to turn to in a crisis, whether it’s a loving spouse, a close friend or an empathetic professional.”
If you’ve been neglecting friends because you’re snowed under with work or overwhelmed by dueling demands, break out of this unhealthy rut. Ask a friend or relative to take over your caregiving duties for an evening or get paid help, suggests Dr. Lindenthal. If that’s impossible, have a gabfest over the phone or invite pals over for pizza. Doctor’s orders!