Loneliness and social isolation are widespread problems in the United States.

• Surveys suggest that 1 in 3 US adults aged 45 and older feel lonely.
• Even though technology connects us now more than ever, it can also disconnect us from the people around us, leading to feelings of loneliness.

Loneliness and social isolation can do more harm to our health than we realize. They can increase the risk of heart disease, depression, and cognitive decline (worsening memory loss).^2-8

Anyone can feel lonely, but some people may have a harder time connecting with others, including those with poor physical or mental health or financial insecurity; those who live alone, identify as LGTBQ+, or immigrated to the United States; and younger and aging populations.

The good news is that you can take steps to ease social isolation and loneliness and improve your health and well-being.

What is social connectedness and why is it important?

When you feel like you belong and have the support and care you need, as well as the number, quality, and diversity of relationships you want—this is what’s known as social connectedness. People with meaningful social connections have:

• Less stress and better sleep.
• Better overall health that can lead to a longer life.
• Healthier habits and behaviors.
• Better quality of life and a sense of belonging.

How you can create and strengthen social connections

No matter who you are or if your relationships were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, you can take steps to create new and stronger relationships.

Improving social connections can take time. There are no official guidelines or a one-size-fits-all strategy, but these tips can help:

• Invest time in nurturing your relationships.
• Explore ways to meet new people, like joining a club or taking a class.
• Share things you already do (like exercising or having a meal) with a friend—or do new activities with them.
• Find ways to be responsive, supportive, and grateful to others.
• Reduce practices that lead to feelings of disconnection from others, such as excessive social media use.
• Talk to a health care provider if you are concerned about stress, loneliness, and social isolation to ensure you are taking care of your mental health.

What parents can do to help their children improve their social connections

• Model and encourage healthy relationships.
• Plan activities to help your child make friends who are different from them.
• Encourage them to develop strong, safe, and stable relationships with supportive adults, like family members, friends, neighbors, and teachers.
• Talk with them about negative influences or stresses, like peer pressure and feelings of rejection or not belonging, which can increase their risk of social isolation and loneliness.
• Talk to your child’s doctor if you’re concerned that they feel lonely and lack meaningful relationships, or if there have been changes in their social connections.

Cuddles, kisses, and caring conversations. These are key ingredients of our close relationships. Scientists are finding that our links to others can have powerful effects on our health. Whether with romantic partners, family, friends, neighbors, or others, social connections can influence our biology and well-being.

Wide-ranging research suggests that strong social ties are linked to a longer life. In contrast, loneliness and social isolation are linked to poorer health, depression, and increased risk of early death.

Studies have found that having a variety of social relationships may help reduce stress and heart-related risks. Such connections might improve your ability to fight off germs or give you a more positive outlook on life. Physical contact—from hand-holding to sex—can trigger release of hormones and brain chemicals that not only make us feel great but also have other biological benefits.

Marriage is one of the most-studied social bonds. “For many people, marriage is their most important relationship. And the evidence is very strong that marriage is generally good for health,” says Dr. Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, an expert on health and relationships at Ohio State University. “But if a relationship isn’t going well, it could have significant health-related consequences.”

Married couples tend to live longer and have better heart health than unmarried couples. Studies have found that when one spouse improves his or her health behaviors—such as by exercising, drinking or smoking less, or getting a flu shot—the other spouse is likely to do so, too.

When marriages are full of conflict, though, such health benefits may shrink. In NIH-funded studies, Kiecolt-Glaser and her colleagues found that how couples behave during conflict can affect wound healing and blood levels of stress hormones. In a study of more than 40 married couples, the researchers measured changes to body chemistry over a 24-hour period both before and after spouses discussed a conflict. The troublesome topics included money, in-laws, and communication.

“We found that the quality of the discussion really mattered,” Kiecolt-Glaser says. Couples who were more hostile to each other showed much larger negative changes, including big spikes in stress hormones and inflammation-related molecules. “In the more well-functioning marriages, couples might acknowledge that they disagree, or find humor in the situation, but they don’t get sarcastic or roll their eyes when the other is talking,” Kiecolt-Glaser says. In a related study, blister wounds healed substantially more slowly in couples who were nastier to each other than in those who were kinder and gentler during difficult discussions.

Couples with the “double-whammy” of hostile marriages and depression may also be at risk for weight problems. After eating a high-fat meal and discussing a difficult topic, these troubled couples tended to burn fewer calories than less hostile counterparts. “The metabolism in these couples was slower in ways that could account for weight gain across time,” Kiecolt-Glaser says. Compared to the kinder couples, the distressed spouses had signs of more fat storage and other risks for heart disease.

The quality of a marriage—whether supportive or hostile—may be especially important to the health of older couples. Dr. Hui Liu at Michigan State University studied data on the health and sexuality of more than 2,200 older people, ages 57 to 85. Good marriage quality, she found, is linked to reduced risk of developing cardiovascular disease, while bad marriage quality is tied to increased risk, particularly in women. “The association between marriage quality and heart health becomes increasingly strong at older ages,” Liu says.

Liu and colleagues are also looking at the links between late-life sexuality and health, including whether sex among the very old is beneficial or risky to heart health. “Some people assume that sex isn’t important in older ages, so those ages are often overlooked in research studies related to sex,” Liu says. “But our studies suggest that for many older people, sex quality and sex life are important to overall quality of life.”

In one recent analysis, Liu and co-workers found that older women who reported having a satisfying sex life were at reduced risk for high blood pressure 5 years later. But the researchers also found that some older men, ages 57 to 85, were at increased risk for certain heart-related problems after 5 years if they reported having frequent (at least once a week) or extremely enjoyable sex. The reasons for these increased risks aren’t clear and are still under study. Experts suggest that older men and women talk with their doctors about concerns related to sexual issues or potential health risks.

Other types of relationships are important, too. These can include friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, clubs, and religious groups. Studies have found that people who have larger and more diverse types of social ties tend to live longer. They also tend to have better physical and mental health than people with fewer such relationships. Social support may be especially protective during difficult times.

Dr. Sheldon Cohen, a psychologist at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, has been exploring the links between relationships and health for more than 3 decades. In one study, his team exposed more than 200 healthy volunteers to the common cold virus and observed them for a week in a controlled setting. “We found that the more diverse people’s social networks—the more types of connections they had—the less likely they were to develop a cold after exposure to the virus,” Cohen says. He and his team have since found evidence that people with more types of connections also tend to have better health behaviors (such as not smoking or drinking) and more positive emotions.

The scientists have also been exploring whether simply believing you have strong social support may help protect against the harms of stress. “Long-term conflicts with others are a potent stressor that can affect health. But we’ve found that its effects are buffered by perceived social support,” Cohen says. “People who have high levels of conflict and low levels of social support are much more likely to get sick when exposed to a virus. But those with high conflict and high levels of social support seem protected.” In addition, hugging seemed to shield against stress. People who reported having more frequent hugs were less likely to develop an infection after viral exposure.

Social ties can have mixed effects on our health. But overall, research suggests that the benefits of interactions with others can outweigh any risks. “It’s generally healthy for people to try to belong to different groups, to volunteer in different ways, and be involved with a church or involved in their neighborhood,” Cohen says. “Involvement with other people across diverse situations clearly can have a very potent, very positive effect on health.”

Making Connections

Social connections might help protect health and lengthen life. Look for ways to get involved with others:

• Join a group focused on a favorite hobby, such as reading, hiking, painting, or wood carving.
• Take a class in yoga, tai chi, or another new physical activity.
• Help with gardening at a community garden or park.
• Volunteer at a school, library, hospital, or place of worship.
• Join a local community group or find other ways to get involved in things you care about.

Social connectedness influences our minds, bodies, and behaviors—all of which influence our health and life expectancy. Research shows that social connectedness can lead to longer life, better health, and improved well-being.

Social connectedness is the degree to which people have and perceive a desired number, quality, and diversity of relationships that create a sense of belonging, and being cared for, valued, and supported.

People are by nature social creatures. Social connections are important for our survival. Our relationships with family, friends, coworkers, and community members can have a major impact on our health and well-being.

When people are socially connected and have stable and supportive relationships, they are more likely to make healthy choices and to have better mental and physical health outcomes. They are also better able to cope with hard times, stress, anxiety, and depression.

There are many things that create social connectedness. The amount and quality of our relationships matter, as do the various roles they play in our lives.

Community Health

There are other benefits of social connectedness beyond individual health. Social connectedness can also help create trust and resilience within communities.

A sense of community belonging and supportive and inclusive connections in our neighborhoods, schools, places of worship, workplaces, and other settings are associated with a variety of positive outcomes. Having supportive and inclusive relationships:

• Helps communities thrive and support the overall well-being, health, safety, and resilience of communities.
• May encourage people to give back to their communities, which may further strengthen those connections.

Characteristics of Social Connectedness

• The number, variety, and types of relationships a person has.
• Having meaningful and regular social exchanges.
• Sense of support from friends, families, and others in the community.
• Sense of belonging.
• Having close bonds with others.
• Feeling loved, cared for, valued, and appreciated by others.
• Having more than 1 person to turn to for support. This includes emotional support when feeling down, and physical support, like getting a ride to the doctor or grocery store, or getting help with childcare on short notice.
• Access to safe public areas to gather (such as parks and recreation centers).

Health Benefits of Social Connectedness

People with stronger social bonds have a 50% increased likelihood of survival than those who have fewer social connections.

Social connection can prevent serious illness and outcomes, like:

• Heart disease.
• Stroke.
• Dementia.
• Depression and anxiety.

Social connection with others can:

• Improve your ability to recover from stress, anxiety, and depression.
• Promote healthy eating, physical activity, and weight.
• Improve sleep, well-being, and quality of life.
• Reduce your risk of violent and suicidal behaviors.
• Prevent death from chronic diseases.

Human beings are social creatures. Feeling like we’re part of a community helps us thrive. But we sometimes have a hard time making and keeping the relationships that sustain us. Many Americans report feeling lonely for long periods of time. Connections with others are important for your health.

Social isolation and loneliness can both cause problems. “Isolation is about whether other people are physically there or not. Being lonely is about not feeling connected to others. You can feel lonely in a room full of people,” explains Dr. Steve Cole, an NIH-funded researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles, who studies loneliness.

Loneliness not only feels bad, it may also be harmful to your health. People who feel lonely are at higher risk of many diseases. These include heart disease, high blood pressure, and Alzheimer’s disease. Loneliness may also increase the risk of death for older adults.

Some of the increased risk of disease may come from changes in behavior. People who feel isolated may not have friends or family encouraging them to eat right, exercise, or see a doctor. New research suggests that loneliness can also directly harm our health.

“Lonely people have differences in their biology that make them more vulnerable to disease,” Cole explains. He and colleagues have studied how loneliness affects the immune system, your body’s disease fighting system. They found that loneliness may alter the tendency of cells in the immune system to promote inflammation . Inflammation is necessary to help our bodies heal from injury. But when it goes on too long, it may raise the risk of chronic diseases.

People who feel lonely may also have weakened immune cells that have trouble fighting off viruses. “So that leaves lonely people more vulnerable to a variety of infectious diseases,” Cole adds.

People often associate loneliness with getting older. But you can feel lonely at any age. A recent survey found that young Americans are more likely to feel lonely than older adults. Some research suggests that social media tools and resources are preventing younger people from connecting in real life, Cole says. However, more studies are needed to know whether this is true.

It can be hard for people to talk about loneliness, Cole explains. They may feel like something is wrong with them, even though feeling lonely happens to almost everyone at some point.

NIH-funded researchers are looking into ways to help people break the cycle of loneliness. Studies have shown that feelings of loneliness can be reduced by helping others, Cole says. Caregiving and volunteering to help others may therefore help people to feel less lonely.

Having a sense of purpose in life may be another way to fight the effects of loneliness. Research has found that having a strong sense of mission in life is linked to healthier immune cells. “And when you start to pursue a goal that’s important to you, you almost always have to cooperate with others to do that,” Cole says. “That helps bring people together.”

Get Involved With Others

Being active in your community and helping others can reduce feelings of loneliness. You can get more involved with others by:

• serving meals or organizing clothing donations for people in need.
• helping an organization send care packages to soldiers stationed overseas.
• caring for dogs and cats at an animal shelter.
• volunteering to run errands for people with disabilities.
• helping with gardening at a community garden or park.
• volunteering at a school, library, museum, or hospital.

Social isolation and loneliness have become widespread problems in the United States, posing a serious threat to our mental and physical health.

Social isolation and loneliness have been linked to increased risk for:

• Heart disease and stroke.
• Type 2 diabetes.
• Depression and anxiety.
• Addiction.
• Suicidality and self-harm.
• Dementia.
• Earlier death.

Social isolation is the lack of relationships with others and little to no social support or contact. It is associated with risk even if people don’t feel lonely.

Loneliness is feeling alone or disconnected from others. It is feeling like you do not have meaningful or close relationships or a sense of belonging. It reflects the difference between a person’s actual and desired level of connection. This means that even a person with a lot of friends can feel lonely.

Loneliness and isolation may be shaped by many factors, including culture, demographics, and the places where people live, work, learn, and play.

Research suggests that loneliness impacts some groups more than others, including:

• Low-income adults.
• Young adults.
• Older adults.
• Adults living alone.
• People with chronic diseases and disabilities.
• Immigrants.
• Individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (or queer).

Factors That Might Increase a Persons’ Risk of Social Isolation and Loneliness

• Having a lower income (less than $50,000/year).
• Having a psychiatric or depressive disorder.
• Being marginalized or discriminated against.
• Challenges to accessing resources, such as living in a rural areas, limited transportation, language barriers.
• Stress due to a lack of resources.
• Having a chronic disease or condition.
• Having a long-term disability.
• Being unmarried, unpartnered, or living alone.
• Being a victim of violence or abuse.
• Major life transitions like getting divorced, losing a job, or loss of a loved one.

The Costs of Social Isolation and Loneliness

Loneliness costs the US economy an estimated $406 billion a year, in addition to the estimated $6.7 billion a year in Medicare costs for socially isolated older adults.

Increased Health Risks

Social isolation increases your risk of:

•   Dementia by 50%
•   Heart disease by 29%
•   Stroke by 32%

Strong, healthy relationships are important throughout your life. Your social ties with family members, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and others impact your mental, emotional, and even physical well-being.

“We can’t underestimate the power of a relationship in helping to promote well-being,” says NIH psychologist and relationship expert Dr. Valerie Maholmes. Studies have found that having a variety of social relationships may help reduce stress and heart-related risks. Strong social ties are even linked to a longer life. On the other hand, loneliness and social isolation are linked to poorer health, depression, and increased risk of early death.

As a child you learn the social skills you need to form and maintain relationships with others. But at any age you can learn ways to improve your relationships.

NIH funds research to find out what causes unhealthy relationship behavior. Researchers have created community, family, and school-based programs to help people learn to have healthier relationships. These programs also help prevent abuse and violence toward others.

What Is Healthy?

Every relationship exists on a spectrum from healthy to unhealthy to abusive. One sign of a healthy relationship is feeling good about yourself around your partner, family member, or friend. You feel safe talking about how you feel. You listen to each other. You feel valued, and you trust each other.

“It’s important for people to recognize and be aware of any time where there is a situation in their relationship that doesn’t feel right to them or that makes them feel less than who they are,” Maholmes advises.

It’s normal for people to disagree with each other. But conflicts shouldn’t turn into personal attacks. In a healthy relationship, you can disagree without hurting each other and make decisions together.

“No relationship should be based on that power dynamic where someone is constantly putting the other partner down,” Maholmes says.

If you grew up in a family with abuse, it may be hard as an adult to know what healthy is. Abuse may feel normal to you. There are several kinds of abuse, including physical, sexual, and verbal or emotional. Hurting with words, neglect, and withholding affection are examples of verbal or emotional abuse.

In an unhealthy or abusive relationship, your partner may blame you for feeling bad about something they did or said. They may tell you that you’re too sensitive. Putting you down diminishes you and keeps them in control.

In a healthy relationship, however, if you tell your partner that something they said hurt your feelings, they feel bad for hurting you. They try not to do it again.

Abuse in an intimate relationship is called domestic or intimate partner violence. This type of violence involves a pattern of behaviors used by one person to maintain power and control over someone that they are married to, living with, or dating now or in the past. A pattern means it happens over and over.

In an unhealthy or abusive relationship, you may not be allowed to spend time with family, friends, and others in your social network. “One of the signs that’s really important in relationships where there is intimate partner violence is that the partner that is being abused is slowly being isolated from family and friends and social networks,” Maholmes says. “Those social networks are protective factors.”

Social Ties Protect

Studies have shown that certain factors seem to protect people from forming unhealthy relationships over their lifetime. The protection starts early in life. NIH-supported research has shown that the quality of an infant’s emotional bond with a parent can have long-lasting positive or negative effects on the ability to develop healthy relationships.

“The early bond has implications that go well beyond the first years of life,” says Dr. Grazyna Kochanska, an NIH-funded family relationships researcher at the University of Iowa. The goal of Kochanska’s research projects is to understand the long-term effects of that early bond and to help children develop along positive pathways and avoid paths toward antisocial behaviors.

A family that functions well is central to a child’s development. Parents can help children learn how to listen, set appropriate boundaries, and resolve conflicts. Parents teach children by example how to consider other people’s feelings and act in ways to benefit others.

Secure emotional bonds help children and teens develop trust and self-esteem. They can then venture out of the family to form other social connections, like healthy friendships. In turn, healthy friendships reduce the risk of a child becoming emotionally distressed or engaging in antisocial behaviors.

On the other hand, having an unhealthy relationship in the family, including neglect and abuse, puts a child at risk for future unhealthy relationships.

“One caring adult can make a huge difference in the life of kids whose family structures may not be ideal or whose early life is characterized by abuse and neglect,” says Dr. Jennie Noll of the Center for Healthy Children at Pennsylvania State University. “That caring adult could be an older sibling, or a parent, or someone else in the family, a teacher—the kind of people who have a large influence in communicating to the child that they matter and that they’re safe, and that they have a place to go when they are needing extra support.”

Healthy friendships and activities outside of the home or classroom can play protective roles during childhood, too. In fact, everyone in a community can help support the development of healthy connections. Adults can serve as good role models for children, whether the children are their own or those they choose to mentor.

Helping and Getting Help

At any age, your relationships matter. Having healthy relationships with others starts with liking yourself. Learn what makes you happy. Treat yourself well. Know that you deserve to be treated well by others.

Having an unhealthy or abusive relationship can really hurt. The connection may be good some of the time. You may love and need the person who hurts you. After being abused, you may feel you don’t deserve to be in a healthy, loving relationship.

With help, you can work on your relationship. Or, sometimes in an abusive relationship, you may be advised to get out. Either way, others can help.

If you or a friend needs help with an unhealthy relationship, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at www.thehotline.org or 1-800-799-SAFE. If you know a child who may need help, find resources at the Child Welfare Information Gateway at www.childwelfare.gov.

How to Help Someone in an Unhealthy Relationship

• Let them know that you’re worried about them.
• Listen without judging or blaming.
• Tell them that it’s not their fault.
• Offer to go with them to talk to someone who can help.
• Visit www.thehotline.org for more tips on how to help.

Do birds of a feather really flock together? The science says yes. People do tend to choose friends who are similar to them. You also become more like your friends over time. And that can influence your health.

Many behaviors spread socially. Examples include how much you exercise, how much alcohol you drink, whether you smoke, and what foods you eat.

Scientists are still trying to untangle why that is. Studies have found that activity in certain brain areas changes when other people are around. That can affect what you choose to do.

But this work also suggests that you can harness the power of social relationships to gain healthier habits—and motivate others to do the same.

Social Influence

“People care about what others think across all different age groups—and that influences how much they value different ideas and behaviors,” says Dr. Emily Falk at the University of Pennsylvania. She studies how social networks affect decision making. This is called social, or peer, influence.

Teens are especially responsive to peer influence. That’s because their brains undergo changes that make them highly attuned to social situations. At the same time, the reward system in the teen brain becomes extra sensitive.

The reward system is a brain circuit that causes feelings of pleasure. It’s activated by things we enjoy, like eating good food. It’s also activated by social rewards, like getting a compliment.

And teens are just learning to navigate the social world. Understanding other people’s values and being influenced by them are important parts of socializing. Being influenced on things like clothing choices and musical taste can help teens learn to fit in and make friends. But taking part in risky behaviors, like drinking alcohol or smoking, can lead to health or legal consequences.

“Research shows that even just having another peer around can change the reward response in the brain and also the risk-taking tendencies of teenagers,” says Falk. Her team studies how peers affect teens’ driving behaviors and smoking decisions.

Some people seem to be more easily influenced than others, too. They may be more sensitive to feeling included or excluded by others. Or they may be more sensitive to social signals, like the tone of someone’s voice or their body language.

Dr. Mary Heitzeg’s team at the University of Michigan is doing research to better understand how a person’s biology and reactions to social situations affect whether they develop substance use or mental health problems later in life.

Using brain scans, the team is looking at how teens’ brains respond to being socially included or excluded. They’re also looking at how the brain’s reward system responds to different situations.

Heitzeg’s team is part of a large 10-year effort, called the ABCD Study, to understand the factors that influence teens’ health and risk behavior in the long term. Factors can include families, friends, schools, neighborhoods, and communities.

“Adolescence is such a risky period,” says Heitzeg. “That’s when sexual initiation happens, initiation and escalation of substance use happens, as well as other types of risky and delinquent behaviors, like risky driving.”

But it’s also a time that peer influence can help teens thrive if it gets them more involved with their community or helps them learn behaviors to get along with others, like how to cooperate or be empathetic.

Peer Quality, Not Quantity

Positive and negative peer influences can affect more than just your behavior. They can also change the way you feel.

Studies show that, in general, the more friends you have and the more time you spend with them, the happier you are. Friends give you people to share your feelings with, to get new perspectives from, or to just do fun activities with.

But it’s the quality of those friendships—not quantity—that really makes the difference. Quality of friendships has been linked to higher life satisfaction and better mental health.

“We’ve all experienced letting a friendship go because it didn’t feel great,” says Dr. Rebecca Schwartz-Mette of the University of Maine. Her lab studies how peer relationships affect the emotional development of children and teens.

Friendships you feel you want to let go of may be low quality. They might be fraught with conflict, criticism, and aggression. For youth, low quality friendships are linked to poor academic performance and behavioral issues.

High quality friendships provide understanding, support, and validation of your self-worth. These types of friendships are more stable and are more satisfying.

Spending time with friends can be especially helpful for people with anxiety or depression. However, Schwartz-Mette’s studies have shown that depression can also be worsened by certain friendship qualities. One is called co-rumination.

“Co-rumination is basically when people get together and talk excessively about everything that’s going wrong and how bad they feel,” she explains. “With that person, they feel understood, validated, and that this person is emotionally close to them. But they get more depressed because they’re focusing their attention on negative things.”

Research suggests that it may help to refocus such friendships. Talk about both positive and negative things in your day. Look for healthy activities to get out and do together, like going for a walk. Encourage each other to keep up healthy habits like physical activity, healthy eating, and getting a good night’s sleep.

“Noticing that our behavior is influenced by other people, we can be intentional and try to focus on the people who are doing the things we want to get into ourselves,” Falk explains. “Sharing your healthy habits with other people could make a real difference to somebody else.” And to yourself.

Parents can help guide their kids toward more positive social experiences, too (see the Wise Choices box for tips). But everyone can benefit from high quality friendships that help you nurture healthy habits.

Fostering Positive Friendships

Parents can help guide their kids toward healthier friendships. Here are ways to help:

• Stay involved. Talk with your children about their lives and activities. Knowing what goes on can help you better guide them toward positive, healthy experiences.
• Keep an eye on social groups. Though children may identify with a certain peer group for a period of time, they often move from group to group. Try to steer them toward peers who support them in healthy ways.
• Encourage kids to do healthy activities when they’re with friends. For example, going for a walk or hike, playing recreational sports, or volunteering.
• Provide ways for kids to take healthy social risks. For example, find opportunities for teens to get involved with their community and meet new people with different perspectives. Or to meet someone who can teach them about a topic of interest.
• Share examples from your own life. Explain how you’ve found ways to meet new people and what activities you enjoy doing with others. Model the behaviors you’d like to see.
• Create a sense of belonging and acceptance. Kids can learn about healthy relationships from their family experiences.

Social connection is deeply personal. Small acts of connection lay the groundwork for building supportive, valued, inclusive, and meaningful relationships. Each of us contributes to building meaningful connections in our roles as next-door neighbor, friend, family member, colleague, community member, and global citizen.

While no official guidelines exist, and no one-size-fits-all, below are some suggestions for what people can do to improve social connection:

5 Ways to Improve Social Connection

1. Establish and maintain social connections
   • Devote time and attention to develop and maintain relationships. Regular contact with others helps build social connectedness.
   • Create a larger and more diverse social network. Having more and different types of people in our lives can potentially provide a greater variety of resources, information, and opportunities to help us with life’s many challenges.
   • Join a social group to connect with others. Being part of a group with shared interests, values, or goals can be rewarding and foster a sense of belonging.
2. Consider the support you give, receive, and have available to you
   • Reach out to sources of support to help you through the tough times, even though it can be hard to ask for help sometimes. Members of your family or community, or health care providers can be sources of support.
   • Provide support to others—it can give them much-needed help, and make you feel good too!
   • But don’t forget to take care of yourself even if you are caring for others.
3. Strengthen the quality of social connections
   • Focus on building high-quality, strong, meaningful social connections.
   • Find ways to be responsive, supportive, and grateful to others.
   • Take steps to address conflict or negative feelings when they arise.
4. Address barriers to social connection
   • Take care of your health. Staying healthy allows you to connect with others socially and enjoy those connections.
   • Don’t let technology distract you from engaging with people. Pay attention to ways it might make you feel worse about yourself or others. Try to use it in ways that are positive.
   • Making ends meet and busy work schedules can prevent us from carving out time to connect with others. Consider sharing things you already do (like exercising or having a meal) with a friend—or doing new activities with them.
5. Talk with a health care provider about concerns like stress, loneliness, and social isolation
   • Talk to your doctor or a health professional if you are feeling isolated or lonely, or if there are major changes or stresses in your life. This can help your health care provider identify potential concerns and ways to help you.
   • Life changes like new health issues, divorce, retirement, or the loss of a loved one can lead to disconnection. Being open and honest with your health care provider can help them better understand how to help you.

Ideas for increasing social connections

• Spend more quality time with family and friends.
• Join a group, club, or class related to an interest or hobby (books, art, sports).
• Spend time with others in nature.
• Express gratitude to others.
• Volunteer with an organization.
• Get involved in your community.
• Expand and diversify your social network by making a new acquaintance or friend, especially someone who might be different from you.
• Provide social support to others, such as listening to a friend dealing with a problem.
• Get to know your neighbors.
• If you cannot be with others in person, substitute a phone call for screen time.

What Parents Can Do to Promote Social Connections for their Children or Teens

• Model and encourage healthy social connections and relationships.
• Encourage healthy social relationships with a diverse group of peers by creating ways to help them meet people who are different from them.
• Help them develop strong, safe, and stable relationships with supportive adults, such as family members and friends, neighbors, and teachers.
• Talk with them about negative influences or stresses, like peer pressure, feeling rejected or not belonging, which may increase risk for social isolation and loneliness.
• Watch for warning signs of loneliness and isolation and get help for them if needed. For example, pay attention to changes in sleep patterns, energy levels, or behavior like withdrawing from friends and family.
• Be attentive to how they spend time online. Talk to them about the cyberbullying, which can increase risk for social isolation and loneliness.
• Reach out to your health care provider about any concerns or changes in their social connections.