Making friends isn’t always easy, but it’s worth the effort. studies show that a social circle is good for the body as well as the soul.
SHARILENE ROWLAND wasn’t used to flying solo. She’d married young and had her first child when she was 25. But after she divorced and her two sons decamped from the nest, the 53-year old caterer discovered that the only real social events she attended were the ones where she was hired to cook the food. She had maintained a few close friendships over the years, but the majority of her pals lived in other cities. Her typical evening went something like this: head home after work, make dinner, and … sit around. “I was in my 50s, single and very lonely,” she says.
Unfortunately, Rowland has plenty of company when it comes to the solitary life. Midlife is when strong ties become both most important to our health and most difficult to maintain.
In this age of changing social fabric, loneliness is inevitable. Lost in our screens and bogged down by deadlines, we rarely have real interactions with people. Studies show that nearly 80 per cent of those under 18 years and 40 per cent of those over 65 years feel lonely. “While the internet facilitates a virtual connection, it limits face-to-face interactions with people. Physical presence impacts how we connect with another person. Proximity to another human is essential to feel reassured and comforted,” says Dr Senthil Reddi, additional professor, NIMHANS, Bengaluru.
A 2014 study published in the Journal of Clinical & Diagnostic Research examined the correlation between loneliness, psychiatric disorders and physical health. It stressed early intervention to prevent sleep disorders, personality disorders, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, physiological ageing and Alzheimer’s.
Denne historien er fra June 2017-utgaven av Reader's Digest India.
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Denne historien er fra June 2017-utgaven av Reader's Digest India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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BOOKS
Books review
STUDIO - Off Lamington Road by Gieve Patel
Oil on Canvas, 54 x 88 in
NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF MEDICINE
FOODS THAT FIGHT DEMENTIA
TO HELL AND BACK
The Darvaza crater in Turkmenistan is known as the Gates of Hell. I stood on its edge - and lived to tell the tale
THE SNAKE CHARMERS
Invasive Burmese pythons are squeezing the life out of Florida's vast Everglades. An unlikely sisterhood is taking them on
Sisterhood to Last a Lifetime
These college pals teach a master class in how to maintain a friendship for 50-plus years
...TO DIE ON A HOCKEY RINK
ONE MINUTE I WAS PLAYING IN MY BEER LEAGUE, THE NEXT I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL
Just Sit Tight
Broken, battered and trapped in a ravine for days, I desperate driver wonders, \"Will anyone find me?\"
Allow Me to Mansplain...
If there's one thing we know, it's this: We're a nation of know-it-alls
THE BITTER TRUTH ABOUT SUGAR (AND SUGAR SUBSTITUTES!)
It's no secret that we have a serious addiction. Here's how to cut back on the sweet stuff, once and for all.