We talk about eating well, exercising and getting enough sleep. But what if one of the most important things for our health is the people we share our lives with?
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When we think about living a longer, healthier life, we often focus on what we eat, how much we exercise and whether we get enough sleep. But there’s something we tend to overlook: friendship. In this week’s After Hours, Stephen and I explored the fascinating science behind human connection. One meta-analysis involving nearly 310,000 people found that stronger social relationships were associated with 50% higher odds of survival. That doesn’t mean friendship automatically makes us live longer, but it tells us something important about the role relationships play in our wellbeing. We also explored how meaningful connections can help us manage stress, support emotional resilience and potentially influence our physical health. Perhaps one of the most interesting insights is that being alone and feeling lonely are two very different things.
We also looked at the world’s Blue Zones, communities often associated with exceptional longevity, where social connection is woven into everyday life. From shared meals in Greece to the moai friendship groups of Okinawa, the common thread is not simply knowing people, but regularly showing up for one another. And here’s something worth remembering: friendships take time to develop, but they also need nurturing. As life gets busier with work, family and responsibilities, it’s easy to assume our friendships will simply look after themselves. They rarely do. My biggest takeaway from this conversation is that we should approach friendship with the same intention we bring to our physical health. Make that phone call. Organise that dinner. Check in on someone you haven’t spoken to in a while. Because sometimes, one of the healthiest things we can do is remind someone that they matter.
With my best
Dr Vincent
PS. Yes I know, we accidentall skip an issue! Sorry!
After Hours is where science gets personal. Hosted by Dr Vincent, your friendly neighbourhood scientist and Stephen!
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