EDITORIAL: Invest more time in your relationships this holiday season
Young adults report feeling twice as lonely as older adults. 79% of adults ages 18-24 report feeling lonely compared to 41% of those ages 66 and older, and 42% of adults ages 18-34 report feeling left out compared to 16% of adults ages 55 and older, according to a study by The Cigna Group.
This holiday season, take extra care to spend quality time with your family or friends. While this may sound obvious, many of us have become accustomed to spending much of our time alone in our rooms on our computers or phones.
We live in an individualistic, post-pandemic, highly digital society where it seems like, for many of us, schoolwork, social media, and Netflix and/or YouTube have almost become our default activities next to eating and sleeping.
Consciously choosing to have a more socially connected holiday break will benefit you and the people around you in several ways.
Humans are social beings, and as such, social connections are good for our health. According to the CDC, people with strong social connections have a 50% increased likelihood of survival than those who lack social bonds. Social connections also promote overall wellbeing and decrease the risk of developing serious illnesses.
In addition to promoting health, investing time in your relationships allows you to make meaningful memories that will last you a lifetime, and winter break is a perfect time to do this.
Whether it’s playing games, taking walks, watching movies, or making food together, engaging in activities with your loved ones will allow you to get closer to them and share quality experiences.
Taking part in activities with your loved ones will also help you and your relatives feel supported.
In a 2023 study of 370 participants, the number of social support providers one had had a significant indirect impact on depression symptoms and a significant direct impact on resilience, according to Scientific Reports.
The link between social support, decreased depression, and increased resilience suggests that investing in social support helps us feel better able to manage our day-to-day stressors.
With all of the benefits of social connection in mind, here are just a few ideas of activities you can do with loved ones that may naturally lend themselves to having meaningful conversations and making memories:
- Cook or bake together
- Decorate the house
- Take walks or bike rides
- Volunteer in the community
- Go shopping together
Connections and experiences are the most precious gifts life has to offer, so give the gift of quality time to your loved ones this holiday season.