As a senior it can be difficult to keep an active social life, but it is very important nonetheless. The good news is that more sociable you are the easier it gets and the more benefits—physical and mental—which you get to enjoy. Here are some tips for staying social and some information about the benefits and rewards for doing so.
Tips For Staying Social
A good start is to find ways to get out of the house – whether it be for a simple walk around the neighborhood or a trip to the community gym. The more you get outdoors and experience the larger world the more opportunities there are to build new bridges, make new acquaintances and expand your social sphere.
Even small beginnings can lead to improved social lives such as inviting a friend out to the cinema to watch a movie, checking in with your family about attending a theater production or joining a local gardening or birdwatching club.¹
Link Up Online
There are a number of easy ways to stay social, including using social media websites and your email account to stay in touch with friends and family. If you join a hobby-focused community on a social media or meetup website like meetup.com, it’s very possible to make new friends as well. Another good option is to join a local recreation group. From knitting groups, reading groups, golf communities, or Scrabble or bingo clubs, most areas have a wide number of activities that are popular with seniors.¹
Getting Social By Getting Busy
One of the best ways to stay social is to considering volunteering or even picking up a part-time job, whether it is in a café, library or even at a local art gallery. There are all sorts of reasonable options to get out of the house or apartment and make new friends and stay busy and sociable.¹
Benefits Of Staying Social
Staying social has been proven to help dramatically with mental and physical health. In contrast, being alone too much has a number of mental and physical downsides and risks. Staying sociable cuts down the chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease and helps prevent depression, anxiety, dementia and other conditions that can making aging a challenge. Physically, staying socially engaged can also have a range of positive impacts including getting you out of the house and moving with many outdoor activities and recreational activities. Physical exercise, in turn, helps lower blood pressure, increase overall wellbeing by releasing endorphins and can even help to stop development of some cancers and arthritis.²
Stay Social, Live Longer
Another major benefit of staying social is that it increases longevity according to numerous studies. As your overall activity level goes up and your wellbeing increases, longevity often accompanies this. You are out there living life, and your immune system and overall health responds accordingly, giving you more years to enjoy.²
Come Together
One of the biggest benefits of staying social is the intangible but deeply valuable worth of having friends, loved ones, enjoying life and staying away from the cycle of misery and loneliness that can overtake any of us if we spend too long alone or without social interactions with the outside world.
Staying social provides a sense of belonging and community and makes every day a new adventure that ends up boosting your wellbeing and sense of inclusion and purpose. As you make new friends and reconnect with old ones, the vitality of life and the enjoyable times that occur when you get out and about start becoming a daily reality.²
[1] https://inspiredliving.care/6-ways-for-seniors-to-stay-social/
[2] https://www.westernhomecommunities.org/blog/socially-active-seniors