The Importance of Staying Connected

Social relationships are important to your overall health.

Friendships offer numerous mental health benefits including increased feelings of belonging, purpose, happiness and confidence.

Use these suggestions to make or strengthen connections with friends, family members and new faces around your community.

Make the call

Sometimes a phone call is all it takes to make you or someone you care about feel more connected.

Make an effort to call friends and family members regularly. Once you make the initial outreach, you may be pleasantly surprised when they return the favor and unexpectedly brighten your day.

Visit virtually

Not all connections are face-to-face. Video calls allow you to observe facial cues and body language, which are important when forming connections with others.

You can:

• Have a virtual dinner with someone
• Watch a TV show together virtually
• Start a book club or other social group that meets regularly over video to discuss common interests

Keep your spirits up

In addition to regularly connecting with others, you can take steps to help improve your mood:

• Develop a routine to help your days feel organized and productive
• Get fresh air and sunlight each day
• Aim for 30 minutes of physical activity each day
• Avoid alcohol
• Get 7–9 hours of sleep each night

While it’s normal to sometimes feel sad or lonely, mental health issues can cause people to withdraw from friends and family. Check out these other signs to watch for, as well as resources to help.