Why friends are good for your mind
HUMAN beings are designed for social interaction, and it turns out that being sociable is just as important as diet, exercise and other lifestyle factors.
studies show you can boost the impact of any brain-building exercise by involving social interaction.
The ‘ Blue Zones’ of the world — where the longest-living people live — share a strong social dimension that really does contribute to health and longevity. in these places, religious communities are common, and family relationships considered very important. inhabitants tend to have lifelong partners, live near parents and grandparents, and stay close to their children. one factor credited for the long lives of residents in okinawa, Japan, is that the elderly have a ‘moais’, a group of five friends who support one another throughout life.
it seems the quality of your relationships affects your happiness and health as you age, and your sociability could be one of the most reliable determinants of cognitive health.
so it is well worth working on your ‘social aptitude’ or your ability to cultivate and maintain relationships, because all the studies show this consistently leads to better physical and mental health in old age.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
SOCIAL interaction ( the more complex the better) works on many levels to increase cognitive reserve and protect your brain from decay. here’s why:
SOCIALISING requires complex communication skills that involve different brain functions such as face recognition, memory, focus, attention and both listening, processing and language skills — they are all going on in your head while you share a joke or discuss the weather.
IT GENERATES emotions that are important for motivation and helping you find meaning — friends and family give a sense of purpose, bringing structure to your life.
INTERACTING with others can lift mood and decrease your chance of depression (which can increase the risk of cognitive decline).
YOU become more likely to develop healthy habits (a friend or partner might encourage you to exercise when you could find excuses and duck out if left to you own devices).
IT GIVES you an outlet for emotional expression (happy and sad), which is good for the body as well as the brain. As you go through the changes we recommend, enlist the support of family and friends. They will help you succeed and learn to help themselves in the process.
sprinkle a little interaction over any challenging cognitive activity and you’ll find so many more areas of the brain light up, thus hugely increasing its Alzheimer’s protecting benefits. eating with others, for example, is more cognitively complex than eating alone.
The same goes for exercise — tennis, bowls, even tiddlywinks will be better for your brain than a solitary session in the pool. Playing bridge with friends has numerous benefits over completing sudoku puzzles alone — both involve focus, attention, memory and problem-solving, but the social element adds emotional processing. in fact, we believe you can boost the benefits of everything you do by making it social — and the more engaged you are, the better.
START SIMPLE
IF YOU prefer your own company, becoming more sociable can be quite a challenge. even more so if you are already worrying about a failing memory, or harbour concerns that you might not be able to follow a conversation. it can be all too easy to withdraw rather than risk embarrassment. But our advice is to pick things up slowly. Just going out puts you in a social environment — take a walk in a park, or stroll around a shopping centre.
go to the theatre or the cinema to be around other people and take every opportunity to interact. smile at the ticket desk or supermarket checkout and strike up simple chats when possible.
MODERATE ACTIVITIES
EVEN better is a group setting where you are present and involved. Aim to have initial contact with the people who make you feel most comfortable, such as family and close friends, in familiar settings before you venture further afield. going to a coffee morning or joining a class can be useful ice breakers. it’s OK to stay quiet, your brain will still be active as you listen from the sidelines.
COMPLEX INTERACTIONS
A SOCIAL situation which requires your full attention, where you are actively involved in complex conversation, offers the best possible protection for your brain.
if you are out of practice (perhaps a demanding job sucked up your time), you’ve moved to a new area, or your social group has gradually dissolved leaving you isolated, it is important to push yourself to engage and work towards making new friends. Joining a book club is a great way to meet new people and exercise your brain.