When you’re young, community is practically sometimes forced on you. You’re part of clubs, you’re in sports, you’re in the same classes, and your neighbors are your best friends.
As you get older, responsibilities and priorities change. Part of the natural progression of life is that you start to drift away from constantly seeking new friendships to focusing more time on a select few relationships that you want to build.
This is great for the meaningful relationships that already exist in your life, however this also means that as we age, it’s harder to make new, significant connections.
WHY DOES THIS MATTER?
When we think about our health, we often look inwards. How can I eat better? How can I work out more? How can I improve my mental health? Research, however, suggests that we should place a greater emphasis on looking to surround ourselves with others to improve our well-being.
Having a strong sense of community has been proven to improve mental health issues by:
- Reducing social isolation
- Reduction in suicidal ideation
- Reducing stress
- Reducing anxiety
- Reducing depression
- Reducing addiction
- Reducing post-traumatic stress levels
- Improving overall happiness
- Improving quality of life
“Social connection, like exercise, is a preventative strategy as well as a treatment strategy for chronic conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and depression. It is time to make social connection a part of lifestyle medicine. ”
– Martino, Pegg, & Frates
While the mental health improvements may seem intuitive, research shows that there are physical health benefits to consider as well. Research shows that men who have a strong sense of community show:
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- Reduction in cardiovascular disease
- Reduction in the likelihood of diabetes
- Reduction in the likelihood of certain cancers
- Improvements in healing times after injury
- Improvements in overall BMI and weight management
- Improving life expectancy
These last few years have been rough for everyone.
Whether we had a community or not before the pandemic, we’ve all been feeling the effects of being isolated from the connections we used to have.
Now more than ever, it’s time to prioritize getting back together with people in a meaningful way.
Type3life trips go way beyond the superficial interaction you have with your coworker at the water cooler. Our trips encourage men to be their true selves and develop meaningful connections with other guys through building mutual trust and respect.
This isn’t a one-time experience, it’s about being welcomed into a larger community of men who have your back through any of life’s difficulties.
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- https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/November-2019/The-Importance-of-Community-and-Mental-Healt