Can reaching out to a friend or neighbour make you healthier?

It turns out that being sociable – even in small ways – has big benefits for your health. It can lift your mood, lower your stress levels and reduce loneliness. It’s good for your heart, your sleep, can influence how well you recover from illness, and even help you live longer. 

“Social relationships really matter,” says psychologist Prof Pamela Qualter, from the University of Manchester. “We've shown again and again that loneliness has an impact on health.” It impacts our sleep, it impacts our heart health in the longer-term, and it even has an impact on conditions like diabetes. 

Satisfying relationships keep us happy and healthy 

The importance of relationships was demonstrated by one of the longest human studies ever carried out. In the 1930s, researchers recruited more than 700 men from Harvard and the surrounding area, and followed them for decades. They found that it was satisfying relationships, more than fame, money, social class or IQ, that kept people happy and healthy throughout their lives.