Connect With Others

Spending time with positive, loving people you care about and trust can ease stress, help your mood and improve the way you feel overall. They may be family members, close friends, members of a support group or a peer counselor at the local drop-in center. Many communities even have warmlines (free hotlines run by people with mental health conditions) that you can call to talk to someone and receive peer support.

BACK

Research points to the benefits of social connection:

Increased happiness. In one compelling study, a key difference between very happy people and less happy people was good relationships.
Better health. Loneliness was associated with a higher risk of high blood pressure in a recent study of older people.
A longer life. People with strong social and community ties were two or three times less likely to die during a 9-year study.

Connection happens when you get:

Concrete help, such as having a friend pick your kids up from school;
Emotional support, like hearing someone say, "I'm really sorry you're having such a tough time";
Perspective, like being reminded that even the moodiest teenagers grow up;
Advice, such as a suggestion to plan a weekly date with your spouse;
Validation, like learning that other folks love reading train schedules too.

Do you have enough support? Ask yourself if you have at least a few friends or family members who:

You feel comfortable to be with;
Give you a sense that you could tell them anything;
Can help you solve problems;
Make you feel valued;
Take your concerns seriously.