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If a random yap session or do-nothing hangout has left you feeling warm and glowy, you know how even everyday interactions can lift your spirits. “But social connection isn’t just mood-boosting,” Kasley Killam, MPH, a social scientist and author of The Art and Science of Connection, tells SELF. “It’s core to how your body is working and a driver of physical health and longevity.”
That’s the idea behind the concept of social health, which Killam defines as “the dimension of your overall well-being that comes from your relationships.” In 2025, the World Health Organization released a report designating social health as a “vital but often overlooked pillar of health,” and “just as essential as physical and mental health.” And experts increasingly suggest thinking of strong social connections as just as significant a contributor to longevity as big hitters like exercise and a nutritious diet.
Researchers have measured connection in different ways—for instance, the number of ties you have to community organizations and groups; the extent to which you can lean on people if you’re in a jam; and how satisfied you are with the relationships you have, Elliot Friedman, PhD, a professor of gerontology at Purdue University who studies healthy aging, tells SELF. And studies on all these dimensions of socializing have uncovered positive links with longevity, he says. Read on to learn the main reasons why, and how to nourish your social life for the long haul.
5 ways a strong social network can add years to your life
1. It softens the impact of stress.
Chronic stress strains your heart, impedes immune function, interferes with digestion, even risks impairing focus and memory. While we can’t avoid stress entirely, having friends and loved ones can help lessen the everyday burden.
If something bad happens, good friends can supply “a shoulder to cry on, or help you think about it differently, or find the silver lining, all of which can help you feel more at ease,” Dr. Friedman explains. In a broader sense, your relationships can also keep you from wallowing in your struggles. “Knowing that people are around who care about you, who are there to support you, can give you the oomph to move forward,” Claudia Trudel-Fitzgerald, PhD, assistant professor of psychology at University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières and affiliate scientist at Harvard’s Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness, tells SELF.
This kind of “stress-buffering,” as social scientists call it, has been shown to have measurable upsides, like dampening the spikes in blood pressure and cortisol that occur in response to stressful events. Over time, these shifts can lower your risk of cardiovascular conditions like heart disease, the number-one killer in the US.
2. It sends a helpful signal to your immune system.
Having a vibrant social life is also directly linked to less inflammation and better immune function, and this may have evolutionary roots. “It’s wired into us that we need community to thrive,” Killam says. Being alone would’ve made our ancestors more vulnerable to, say, bears or lions. So our immune system may have learned to perceive isolation as a physical threat and, in turn, pump up inflammation. Community, by contrast, would’ve helped keep us safe. Hence why our bodies may have evolved to view connection as a shield against danger—meaning, less of a need for inflammation and lower chronic disease risk.
Also from an evolutionary perspective, being isolated would’ve meant less exposure to disease-causing germs, hence a weaker antiviral response. By contrast, a bigger social network puts you in contact with more pathogens, which may be why more socially integrated people seem to have stronger defenses against contagious viruses.
3. It makes you more likely to take care of yourself.
Research shows being tapped into a social network increases the chances that people do health-supportive behaviors, like go to the gym, eat a balanced diet, and steer clear of smoking and drug use—all of which can add up to a longer life.
One reason for that is the way our friends can push us to realize our ambitions and work toward becoming better versions of ourselves, Dr. Friedman says.
There’s also “a certain level of modeling that happens in social networks,” Killam says. If you surround yourself with other people, you’re more likely to subscribe to societal norms around healthy living and avoid risky behaviors that could put you and your friends in harm’s way, she explains. Plus, friends and family members often double as accountability partners, Dr. Trudel-Fitzgerald notes, encouraging you to, say, fit in that workout class or make those regular doctor’s appointments, because they love and care about you.
4. It improves your ability to recover from sickness.
A robust social network gives you a leg up in the wake of serious illness. Connected people are more likely to adhere to medical treatment; and those with cancer survive longer, better avoid recurrence, and experience higher quality of life than their isolated peers.
Some of that may be tied to the way loved ones can buffer the stress of a diagnosis. But they may also offer practical support, like driving you to doctor’s appointments, helping you stay on top of medications, or bringing over a casserole when you’re feeling ill, Killam points out. The more socially integrated you are, the better the chance that you can easily tap someone for help, or quickly access medical attention in case of an emergency.
5. It keeps you mentally sharp.
When you’re chitchatting with friends, whether you’re musing about the movie you loved or troubleshooting a work problem, you’re stimulating your brain, Killam says, prompting it to think and fire off responses. That action may help with the creation of new brain cells and the synapses that connect them, which can slow age-related cognitive decline. Whereas, missing out on everyday banter can weaken your brain over time.
It’s no wonder research consistently pins loneliness and low social contact as top dementia risk factors, with lonely folks showing a swifter dropoff in cognitive abilities with age.
How to build social connections and improve your long-term health too
If you’re not someone with an always-pinging group text, don’t fret. There are plenty of ways to improve social health beyond having to go out and make a ton of friends, Killam says.
You might double down on the couple relationships that are most important to you, she says. Life gets busy, and it’s easy to go days without checking in on even your best friend or partner—so make a point to carve out a bit of time for at least one of these people every day.
It also helps to remember that relationships don’t all have to be intimate to “count,” Dr. Trudel-Fitzgerald says. That can relieve some of the pressure that comes with trying to grow your network. Joining a community organization or volunteering once a week could introduce you to people who may not become phone-call friends but who live nearby and with whom you share a common goal or mission, Dr. Trudel-Fitzgerald says. And that alone can weave you into your neighborhood’s social fabric, while also boosting your sense of purpose.
Even looser ties than that can help you feel more connected too. Dr. Friedman recommends just “putting yourself in the way of social contact.” That means making choices throughout your day that entail interaction—say, ordering coffee in person versus on an app or pausing to chat with the crossing guard. “These brief encounters can not only lift your spirits but make you feel good about your community,” he says.
And stress less about saying hi to people, Dr. Trudel-Fitzgerald adds. “Oftentimes we’re really shy and don’t want to disturb, but at the end of the day, we’re social animals,” she says. “People usually enjoy some interaction, so it’s worth being a bit more bold.”
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Originally Appeared on Self