You may be familiar with mindfulness tools for stress management like meditation or spending time in nature, but did you know that your social interactions can help, too? Investing in your community—your friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors—is actually an effective way to target stress in your life.
Social connectedness is considered one of the determinants of health by the CDC, which are five areas of life that greatly influence health outcomes.1 This means that social connection is just as important to your well-being (how often you experience positive emotions, life satisfaction, and feeling purpose in life) as your genetics, environment, behavior, and medical care.1,2