Treat “regular social contact” as a health expense — don’t wait until you’re feeling down to reach out

9. Treat “regular social contact” as a health expense — don’t wait until you’re feeling down to reach out

Cost: It requires some money and time to arrange meetups. The hard part is making the effort to schedule them even when you’re in a good mood.

In plain terms: Long-term epidemiological research tracking over 3 million people for an average of 7 years demonstrates the vital role of social connection. Those experiencing social isolation had a roughly 30% higher risk of dying during that period compared to non-isolated individuals. People reporting loneliness faced a 25% higher risk, while those living alone faced a 30% higher risk. These figures are similar in magnitude and are even more pronounced among people under 65. Keep in mind these are observational data; it’s also possible that people in poorer health are more likely to end up isolated.

Benefit: As noted, this is a meta-analysis of 70 studies with 3.4 million participants observed over 7 years. Social isolation, loneliness, and living alone all correlate with higher mortality. After adjusting for age and health status, the weighted average risk ratios were: 1.29 for social isolation, 1.26 for loneliness, and 1.32 for living alone. In other words, each condition raised the risk of dying during the study period by roughly 30%, 25%, and 30% respectively. The effects are comparable across all three factors and are stronger in younger adults.

Evidence grade: A

Sources: Holt-Lunstad J, Smith TB, Baker M, Harris T, Stephenson D (2015). Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for mortality: a meta-analytic review. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 10(2), 227-237. <https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691614568352>

Notes: This topic remains debated. These findings are purely correlational; no randomized controlled trials have been conducted to prove cause and effect. It’s also true that people with poorer health are more likely to become isolated or have fewer social interactions. The authors argue that social relationships are as important to health as smoking or obesity, yet there’s no randomized evidence showing that increasing social contact actually lowers mortality. This point does not contradict Section 3’s advice to “cut back on draining relationships”; that section focuses on eliminating toxic connections, while this one stresses the value of maintaining those that replenish your energy.