The importance of social communication for public health

Maintaining a socially strong community is a key factor in improving one's health, a perspective that many doctors adopt. This advice is consistent with scientific evidence suggesting that social well-being contributes positively to mental and physical health. We compare here to a Japanese proverb that says that even delicacies such as sea bream do not taste good when eaten alone, without the participation of anyone, highlighting the value of sharing meals with others, so there is now a tendency to shift the focus on diet and exercise to the social aspects of eating, suggesting that enjoying food with people can lead to a more fulfilling and healthy life. Peace with well-being can be found by not focusing on macros or calorie count. The ultimate goal of good health is to enjoy life, which can be achieved through lifestyle practices inspired by simple Japanese philosophies We often hear the usual talk about the benefit of exercise, the importance of eating vegetables, not eating too much meat, etc., but not about our social health. There is strong evidence that having a strong social life is good for your health, not only mentally, but physically as well. In fact, the happiest and healthiest people on the planet are not necessarily the rich and famous, but those with high-quality connections. We see that one easy way to improve health is to share your meals and snacks with others.

Isn't the primary goal of good health the enjoyment of life?

Maintaining relationships with friends and family and participating in social activities may help us stay alert as we age, according to the World Council for Brain Health.  So it is now advisable to keep in touch with friends and family as this may help maintain your thinking skills. It's usual for social networks to shrink as we age, but there are things we can do to improve the quality of relationships. Join a club, class, or social group to meet new people. Focus on relationships or activities you enjoy. Computer-based communication can be useful to help expand your social world, as well as to maintain existing contacts.

Close relationships support brain health

People differ in the degree to which they seek the company of others, but we share a basic need to interact with others. A large body of evidence shows that positive relationships and joint activities contribute to improving our situation. Conversely, loneliness and social isolation increase health risks and various life events, such as retirement, bereavement and ill health, can reduce social networks and make it difficult to stay socially active. We reviewed the evidence from a brain health perspective, and questioned whether those with larger, more socially engaged social networks tended to have better thinking skills. People experience relationships and interactions differently, and not all of them will be positive or meaningful. Social engagement is fun and meaningful interactions with other people, and it has positive outcomes for those involved such as emotional or practical support. Research suggests that having close relationships with friends and family, and participating in meaningful social activities, may help people maintain their thinking skills better later in life and slow cognitive decline. Socially engaged people appear to have a lower risk of developing dementia, but the evidence isn't yet strong enough to draw conclusive conclusions. Evidence is limited by the difficulties of designing studies on the impact of social engagement on people's brain health, but suggests that the number of social connections, type, quality and purpose of relationships can affect brain function. So better social engagement seems to be beneficial for brain health.

There is also evidence that loneliness increases the risk of losing thinking skills in older adults. We don't yet understand how a higher level of social engagement can promote brain health, but meaningful interactions with others may provide a barrier against further adverse influences such as stress. Changes in thinking skills that occur for other reasons can also affect levels of social engagement, not vice versa. In general, we recommend social engagement for people as they age, because although evidence of their impact on brain health is currently limited, there is good evidence of other benefits of social interactions on well-being and quality of life later in life. The idea that social connections may protect our brain health falls within the concept of "cognitive reserve." This suggests that people develop a reserve of thinking abilities during their lives, and that this protects them from loss and damage later in life.

Social interactions contribute to cognitive reserve

He discovered how different activities, such as owning a pet or technology, can help improve and enhance social engagement later in life. Here are some examples of what people can do: Join a club, class, or social group to meet new people, focusing on relationships or activities you enjoy. If you don't have anyone who can help you socialize, turn to specialists – for example, a telephone hotline, a local reception centre, or a local religious centre. - Who you can ask for help to get to places to meet people. Make sure to communicate regularly with friends, family and neighbors who are important to you and to them. If possible, build relationships with people of different ages, for example by staying in touch with grandchildren, or volunteering at a school or community center. Think about the skills you have that you can share and teach to other people. Consider owning a pet; caring for a cat, dog or bird can help organize the day and be a catalyst for social interaction.

Evidence suggests that interacting with others may slow cognitive decline, but there is still a lot of unclear about the impact of social engagement on brain function. As research continues to explore this area, there is any case good reason to continue interacting with others because social connections and meaningful activities are important for quality of life and well-being. Learn to be healthier, take it from life in Japan: Let's take this from simple Japanese philosophies and lifestyle practices, so we can learn how to find peace, fulfillment, strength and health in our bodies

Evidence suggests that interacting with others may slow cognitive decline, but there is still a lot of unclear about the impact of social engagement on brain function. As research continues to explore this area, there is any case good reason to continue interacting with others because social connections and meaningful activities are important for quality of life and well-being. Learn to be healthier, take it from life in Japan: Let's take this from simple Japanese philosophies and lifestyle practices, so we can learn how to find peace, fulfillment, strength and health in our bodies