{"id":96820,"date":"2023-03-29T04:08:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-29T08:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=96820"},"modified":"2023-04-07T14:49:07","modified_gmt":"2023-04-07T18:49:07","slug":"importance-of-social-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-of-social-life\/","title":{"rendered":"The Importance of a Healthy Social Life & How to Have One"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What role does your social life play in your health and well-being? Why is it important to surround yourself with the right people<\/a>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having a social life is an important factor in one’s mental and physical well-being. But it’s not just being around people that matters. To reap the psychological benefits of socializing<\/a>, you must surround yourself with the right people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s a look at the importance of social life and some tips for cultivating enriching and emotionally fulfilling relationships. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Improve Your Relationships<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The importance of social life for your well-being cannot be underestimated. However, being around<\/em> people isn\u2019t enough\u2014you have to be around the right<\/em> people. In fact, the quality of your relationships can be more influential to your health than your diet, exercise, and even whether or not you smoke.<\/strong> According to Rankin, healthy relationships<\/a> trigger those positive hormones oxytocin and dopamine, which induce relaxation and healing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are five of Rankin\u2019s tips for cultivating a satisfying social life:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1) Stay true to yourself. <\/strong>Other people\u2019s expectations are constantly moving targets. So instead of trying to meet them, open yourself up to people who accept and love you as you are. As a result, you\u2019ll form quality relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2) Seek people you relate to. <\/strong>To find people who accept you as you are, find a group of people in your community<\/a> who share interests with you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: In The Upside of Stress<\/em><\/a>, Kelly McGonigal says you can cultivate meaningful relationships by being honest and open about the things you personally struggle with<\/a>. For example, if you struggle with anxiety, admit when you\u2019re feeling anxious to people you trust, or start a social media group that discusses anxiety. Doing this will help like-minded people feel heard and comforted, which will ultimately inspire them to be open and supportive toward you. In this way, you can attract the right people toward yourself.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3) Fix your sex life. <\/strong>Engaging in a healthy sex life offers innumerable benefits\u2014from lower risk of cancer, stroke, and heart disease to having more youthful skin. Sex alone doesn\u2019t offer these benefits, however\u2014to reap the rewards, sex should serve as a deep connection between two partners who trust each other. Rankin says if anything about the sex causes you stress, such as dishonesty, distrust, cheating, or physical pain, then that sexual relationship can actually cause health problems. If this is the case, consider finding a different sexual partner or seek therapy to help with the issues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Some experts say that issues with your sex life can potentially be remedied by designing a consensual open relationship with your partner<\/a>. Because monogamous relationships<\/a> tend to demand that each partner fill so many of the other’s needs (social, emotional, financial, and sexual, to name a few), this traditional type of relationship can be overwhelming to some. When your partner is unwilling or unable to meet your sexual needs, consensual non-monogamous sex can sometimes lead to healthier relationships too. However, open relationships\u2014like any sexual relationship\u2014have the potential to bring you connection and satisfaction or <\/em>stress, and this arrangement isn\u2019t right for everyone.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4) Find doctors who care. <\/strong>Consult with doctors until you find \u201cthe one.\u201d This doctor should take time to answer your questions and believe that you can get better. If you ask about \u201calternative\u201d forms of treatment (for example, doing acupuncture in conjunction with physical therapy), a good doctor will give you advice but not dismiss anything outright or disparage other treatments that may <\/em>help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: One tip is to prepare for your consultations<\/a> by writing down everything you\u2019d like to talk to your doctor about\u2014your symptoms, how they\u2019re affecting you, your goals, and so on. This can help you avoid feeling overwhelmed<\/a> or forgetting anything important to your health journey when you meet with a physician for the first time.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5) Be honest about your needs. <\/strong>If any important person in your life isn\u2019t meeting your needs, tell them. Rankin says all relationships strengthen with honest communication about what is and isn\u2019t working. (Shortform note:  In Attached<\/em><\/a>, Psychiatrist Amir Levine and psychologist Rachel Heller emphasize that communicating directly and honestly about your own needs has the added benefit of setting a good example<\/a> for your partner and encouraging honesty in return.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What role does your social life play in your health and well-being? Why is it important to surround yourself with the right people? Having a social life is an important factor in one’s mental and physical well-being. But it’s not just being around people that matters. To reap the psychological benefits of socializing, you must surround yourself with the right people. Here’s a look at the importance of social life and some tips for cultivating enriching and emotionally fulfilling relationships.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":74633,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,12],"tags":[954],"class_list":["post-96820","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-relationships","tag-mind-over-medicine","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Importance of a Healthy Social Life & How to Have One - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The importance of a healthy social life cannot be underestimated. Physician Lissa Rankin explains how being social affects your health.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-of-social-life\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Importance of a Healthy Social Life & How to Have One\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The importance of a healthy social life cannot be underestimated. Physician Lissa Rankin explains how being social affects your health.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-of-social-life\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Shortform Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-03-29T08:08:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-04-07T18:49:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/friends-social-group-happy-laughter.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1750\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1176\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Darya Sinusoid\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Darya Sinusoid\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-of-social-life\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-of-social-life\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Darya Sinusoid\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/0421cce75bc249b11e2517b3a91f9c46\"},\"headline\":\"The Importance of a Healthy Social Life & How to Have One\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-03-29T08:08:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-04-07T18:49:07+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-of-social-life\/\"},\"wordCount\":738,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-of-social-life\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/friends-social-group-happy-laughter.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Mind Over Medicine\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Health\",\"Relationships\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-of-social-life\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-of-social-life\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-of-social-life\/\",\"name\":\"The Importance of a Healthy Social Life & How to Have One - Shortform Books\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-of-social-life\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-of-social-life\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/friends-social-group-happy-laughter.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-03-29T08:08:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-04-07T18:49:07+00:00\",\"description\":\"The importance of a healthy social life cannot be underestimated. Physician Lissa Rankin explains how being social affects your health.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-of-social-life\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-of-social-life\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-of-social-life\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/friends-social-group-happy-laughter.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/friends-social-group-happy-laughter.jpg\",\"width\":1750,\"height\":1176},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-of-social-life\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Importance of a Healthy Social Life & How to Have One\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"description\":\"The World's Best Book Summaries\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"width\":500,\"height\":74,\"caption\":\"Shortform Books\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/0421cce75bc249b11e2517b3a91f9c46\",\"name\":\"Darya Sinusoid\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Untitled-design-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Untitled-design-1.png\",\"caption\":\"Darya Sinusoid\"},\"description\":\"Darya\u2019s love for reading started with fantasy novels (The LOTR trilogy is still her all-time-favorite). Growing up, however, she found herself transitioning to non-fiction, psychological, and self-help books. She has a degree in Psychology and a deep passion for the subject. She likes reading research-informed books that distill the workings of the human brain\/mind\/consciousness and thinking of ways to apply the insights to her own life. Some of her favorites include Thinking, Fast and Slow, How We Decide, and The Wisdom of the Enneagram.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/darya\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Importance of a Healthy Social Life & How to Have One - Shortform Books","description":"The importance of a healthy social life cannot be underestimated. Physician Lissa Rankin explains how being social affects your health.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-of-social-life\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Importance of a Healthy Social Life & How to Have One","og_description":"The importance of a healthy social life cannot be underestimated. Physician Lissa Rankin explains how being social affects your health.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-of-social-life\/","og_site_name":"Shortform Books","article_published_time":"2023-03-29T08:08:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-04-07T18:49:07+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1750,"height":1176,"url":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/friends-social-group-happy-laughter.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Darya Sinusoid","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Darya Sinusoid","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-of-social-life\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-of-social-life\/"},"author":{"name":"Darya Sinusoid","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/0421cce75bc249b11e2517b3a91f9c46"},"headline":"The Importance of a Healthy Social Life & How to Have One","datePublished":"2023-03-29T08:08:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-04-07T18:49:07+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-of-social-life\/"},"wordCount":738,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-of-social-life\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/friends-social-group-happy-laughter.jpg","keywords":["Mind Over Medicine"],"articleSection":["Health","Relationships"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-of-social-life\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-of-social-life\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-of-social-life\/","name":"The Importance of a Healthy Social Life & How to Have One - Shortform Books","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-of-social-life\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-of-social-life\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/friends-social-group-happy-laughter.jpg","datePublished":"2023-03-29T08:08:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-04-07T18:49:07+00:00","description":"The importance of a healthy social life cannot be underestimated. Physician Lissa Rankin explains how being social affects your health.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-of-social-life\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-of-social-life\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-of-social-life\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/friends-social-group-happy-laughter.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/friends-social-group-happy-laughter.jpg","width":1750,"height":1176},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/importance-of-social-life\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Importance of a Healthy Social Life & How to Have One"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","name":"Shortform Books","description":"The World's Best Book Summaries","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Shortform Books","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","width":500,"height":74,"caption":"Shortform Books"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/0421cce75bc249b11e2517b3a91f9c46","name":"Darya Sinusoid","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Untitled-design-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Untitled-design-1.png","caption":"Darya Sinusoid"},"description":"Darya\u2019s love for reading started with fantasy novels (The LOTR trilogy is still her all-time-favorite). Growing up, however, she found herself transitioning to non-fiction, psychological, and self-help books. She has a degree in Psychology and a deep passion for the subject. She likes reading research-informed books that distill the workings of the human brain\/mind\/consciousness and thinking of ways to apply the insights to her own life. Some of her favorites include Thinking, Fast and Slow, How We Decide, and The Wisdom of the Enneagram.","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/darya\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/friends-social-group-happy-laughter.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96820","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96820"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96820\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98142,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96820\/revisions\/98142"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/74633"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96820"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96820"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96820"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}