The Benefits of an Active Social Life
We have all heard the saying that ‘laughter is the best medicine’, many of us know that this can be true in many cases. The main reason is because we usually share these funny moments with other people. No matter what our age, maintaining an active social life and making new friends is so important for our overall health. Spending time with people you love and respect affects our happiness and can relieve a massive amount of stress. When paired with other healthy habits such as eating well and staying fit, socialising frequently can help us all keep cognitively active and improve our memory.
Nurturing strong social bonds isn’t just good for our mental health though, it also improves our physical health too. Research shows that reduced stress also reduces the likelihood of heart disease, strokes, and diabetes.
Reasons to Nurture Strong Relationships with Elderly People Cross-generational friendships are enlightening for both sides. From simply making strong social bonds to giving us important life lessons, there are a whole host of reasons to make friends with people from different generations. Older people can teach us life lessons which will impact our resilience, confidence, and empathy. Some more reasons to make friends with elderly people include:
- The older generation can pass on their life lessons and experiences
Older people have generally been through a lot. In other words, they have ‘been there and got the tshirt’. They have had children, gotten married, and they may have experienced living through a war. Their lives have been full of positive and negative experiences and not to mention, they have done some very interesting things that the younger generation simply couldn’t imagine. Learning about these experiences can teach younger generations a lot about resilience, hard work, and confidence. Listening to their stories will also help them reminisce about times gone by. - You and and your elderly companion can both learn a lot
Both sides will get some interesting cultural lessons that they simply wouldn’t learn from peers in their own age group. Everything from music and art to literature and film, you’ll learn a lot about the kind of culture that shaped their perceptions and you can teach them more about modern culture too. - You and the elderly can share similar interests
Maybe you like playing a musical instrument or you enjoy being creative and making art? People across different ages can share the same interests and enjoy them together. Not only that, but you can also take it a step further and learn a new hobby or skill from the older generation or you can teach them something new. - You are able to gain a different perspective by listening to the older generation
As we grow older our opinions and perceptions change a lot. In fact, they are changing all the time and this is a positive thing because it allows us to be open minded and receptive to different ways of doing things. We all have perceptions and stereotypes, so why not challenge them by speaking to people with different ways of thinking? - You might help an older person feel more connected to the world
Everyone can experience loneliness, but it is particularly prominent in elderly people. Keeping in regular contact with elderly friends can help alleviate any feelings of isolation. The use of technology has contributed to this too, it is always on the rise and people who were around before the rise of technology can sometimes feel quite lost. This is an opportunity for the younger generation to teach the older people in their lives to navigate the digital world, or atleast help them when they need to use technology in their daily lives.