“We function much less efficiently and effectively in the world when we're lacking that social connection we all desire.” - jholtlunstad

How much 'Social' is enough?

How many hours of meaningful conversation do you have per day??

2 hours sounds good.

Could you imagine 6 or 7?

We all know that being sociable is somehow good for us, but did you know just how closely it is linked to healthy living? A full review of studies has shown that people with stronger social relationships are 50% more likely to survive than those with weaker social relationships. See here for more: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2910600/

The Blue Zones study was a collaboration between National Geographic and journalist, Dan Buettner. Together they set out to identify the longest living communities in the world and identify the common traits in their lifestyles - in effect reverse engineering longevity, to perhaps allow us to adopt some habits to create our own form of healthy living. This was truly ground breaking compared with other studies into diet and lifestyle that have always been very hard to validate in real life. And when you put people in a lab, its just not that relevant as so many things are changed.

One of the common themes across all 5 Blue Zones was the importance of strong social connections. Studies corroborate that individuals exposed to more social interactions benefit from overall healthy living:

·       Better healing, immunity and overall body functions

·       Improved life satisfaction

·       Improved longevity

·      Lower risk of dementia

·       Better mood and mental health

For more information, read here

:https://www.bluezones.com/2023/01/why-social-bonds-are-important-for-health/

What really shocked me was that the people of the Nicoya peninsula in Costa Rica have 6 to 7 hours of meaningful conversation each day. And other Blue Zones echo that experience.

Wow! How can adults that don’t live in villages or communities make that happen on a regular basis??

Stay with me now.

How to be more social

The Okinawans on the other hand have their own unique approach to increasing community and connection – and that’s other than the tendency to keep front doors open when they are open to receiving visitors:

Mo•ai (/mo,eye/) Japan

noun

1.   A group of lifelong friends

2.   A social support group that forms in order to provide varying support from social, financial, health, or spiritual interests

Moais are created in childhood – or in some cases later in life too - and continue meeting through life for a common purpose: to gossip, experience life and to share advice.

Living life as an expat definitely puts a spanner in the works of any Moai-like groups we might have had from childhood or beyond.

But it’s never too late to start a new one.

Would you like to be part of a local Moai??

Or do you prefer being part of a community taking part in social activities or fun groups for adults for you to increase your daily hours of meaningful interaction?

How will you be more social?

We’re creating Club Majlis to support you with how to be more social through whichever approach you prefer. And if its both, all the better!

Come be more social with us!