I'm an introvert, I'm born that way. Nothing will change that. Oh, I hate crowded places, I hate parties, why do they have to invite me for a guys out, Oh, why are they ruining my alone time. These are what a lot people do say, and I for one I'm a bit in this category of people. I don't like answering calls, I'm like why are you disturbing me. Well, these are characteristics traits of introverts. But one thing that we should all know, nobody was born to be introvert, yeah, you could be calm by default but that doesn't mean you can't mingle with people. I for one try as much to mingle with my close relations a lot which is quite healthy but upon my latest research, I guess I will have to broaden my association a bit. When you start reading convincing theories on how people who lack social skills are more prone to die early, have diseases and so on, I guess you will have to change your lifestyle for the better. I for one don't want to die anytime soon and I know you also don't want to die soon.
This article is meant for everyone, be you an extrovert or introvert it will be helpful if you all read through this article. For introverts, this article will be a warning sign for you to socialize more, while for extroverts you can give your introverted friends so they can change their ways, hence, this article is a must read(smiles).
We Are Social Creatures By Default
We are all social creatures, it's in our DNA to be social. Why do I say so? Why are we born into a family? To socialize with one another. So why are you now, isolating yourself from the world? We are born into a society, that we integrate with, in other to feel among. We crave to be part of a society, that's why kids are at their happiest when they play together. Imagine throwing a birthday party for a kid and nobody comes, will the kid be happy, hell no. The idea of a birthday party is for socialization, to bring loved ones together and create a blissful experience.
Ask yourself how our primate ancestors survived during their time. They had to socialize in other to create way that could help them in times of adversity. They communicated on how to create weapons, how to attack their preys, how to protect their family, etc. No one person can survive on their own. We need people in our lives to survive.
How Can Socializing Ensure Good Mental Health
There are so many ways in which socializing can help ensure good mental health. It's actually obvious if we sit and look at the isolated people in our lives. They may be richer than you but you don't see any spark of happiness or joy around them. Can you imagine isolating yourself for 2 weeks, no calls, no interaction, just you with your laptop or game and how it would feel, just do it right now. It feels awful right, while to some other people, it's best feeling? That's just life. The funny thing is that those of us that socialize don't even know the health benefits we get just by talking to that person or group of people, don't worry yourself, I will let you in.
- Socializing Is Like A Vaccine: According to a Psychologist, Susan Pinker, who said that face-to-face socialization is like a vaccine for stress and anxiety. But how is this possible? Whenever we have a face-to-face conservation our nervous system secretes neurotransmitters tasked with acting like a vaccine to stress and anxiety. We usually feel more relaxed when we speak about our troubles with someone, even though, they don't solve it, but we feel some kind of relieve. And that's why we normally see people drinking at bar, and talking, trying to release some stress off their body, and sometimes, after such episodes, some of these people come out with the actual solution to their problems. A study carried out by MNT, suggest that a touch from a romantic partner goes a super long way in reducing stress. And that's why in movies you see a stressed man resting his head on the laps of his romantic partner. Well, According to Psychologist Susan Pinker,
Face-to-face contact releases a whole cascade of neurotransmitters and, like a vaccine, they protect you now, in the present, and well into the future, so simply […] shaking hands, giving somebody a high-five is enough to release oxytocin, which increases your level of trust, and it lowers your cortisol levels, so it lowers your stress. Source
- Improves Our Brain: Yeah, it should be obvious that socialization helps to improve our brain. You don't want to be the dull one in the group, do you? When I was still in University, I normally take some tutorial classes carried out by my very own classmate, and I wonder why he is so good and so eager to learn. I didn't know there could be a scientific evidence to prove why classmates that teach other classmates are good and more eager to learn. Well, according to Prof. Matthew Lieberman,
If you learn in order to teach someone else, then you learn better than if you learn in order to take a test. Source.
People often do better when they notice that people are motivating them to do better. That's why in Football/Soccer, when a team plays a home game, they play better because their fans are behind them, cheering them up. Same with academics, a child who has a supportive parents will often do better than a kid who is neglected by his/her parents. Hence, socializing helps our brain without us knowing it. Prof. Matthew Lieberman also said;
When you’re socially motivated to learn, the social brain can do the learning and it can do it better than the analytical network that you typically activate when you try to memorize. Source
- Improves Longevity: Socially active people tends to live longer than isolated people. They get the required amount of love that sustain life. As an aged person, if you are always bored, life becomes meaningless. When the soul and body starts accepting that life is meaningless, it won't be long before the person dies. Whereas a socially active aged person, who is in company of his age mates, cracking jokes that only they know, will wake up every morning with happiness and willingness to live on. If you notice those small communities where they all live as one, when one person is in trouble, the entire community supports such person. You always see many great grand parents in such communities. According to a study carried out by Dr. Archelle Georgiou, in a small island in Greece called Ikaria, he noticed how the old people over there are strong and happy. He noticed almost everyone there gets old. Whenever he comes across any family, he sees their great grand parents. He was shocked and amazed. How is this possible? he pondered. He started noticing that these old people are constantly surrounded with their children or grandchildren, or neighbours. They are constantly talking or listening to people talk, sing or crack jokes. There's a communal bond. Everyone took care of each other. They all supported themselves financially and emotionally. Well, according to the two authors' of the book Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, Hector Garcia and Albert Liebermann,
It is customary in Okinawa to form close bonds within local communities. A moai is an informal group of people with common interests who look out for one another. For many, serving the community becomes part of their ikigai [life purpose]. Source.
- Reduce Chances Of Developing Dementia: First thing first, what's Dementia? Dementia can be said to be a memory disorder that are mostly developed by the elderly. You might have seen it in real life or movies, where elderly people, normally forget things, such as, who they are, their children, in other words, their reality. I presume most of you reading this article, are following Money Heist, if not, try it out, it's a good seasonal movie. The mother of the Inspector, Raquel Murillo, is a good example of someone suffering from Dementia. This memory disorder mostly leads to death and everyone around the world can reduce their chances of developing this unfriendly disorder by socializing more often. According to a study carried out by PLOS Medicine, which says that the elderly have a 12% less chance of developing dementia by socializing more often. For example, a grand dad who sees either his family members or friends daily have a 12% less chance of getting dementia than a grand dad, who sees either his family members or friends monthly. It's therefore necessary to try and keep some good family ties, so as to help you when you get old. And if you have an elderly person that you think isn't having much social activities, be there for such person, you might just be saving a life. Well according to Dr Andrew Sommerlad, who is a University College London Psychiatry, who said;
Here we've found that social contact, in middle age and late life, appears to lower the risk of dementia. This finding could feed into strategies to reduce everyone's risk of developing dementia, adding yet another reason to promote connected communities and find ways to reduce isolation and loneliness. Source
Also according to Professor Gill Livingston who is also Psychiatry at the University College London, said;
People who are socially engaged are exercising cognitive skills such as memory and language, which may help them to develop cognitive reserve - while it may not stop their brains from changing, cognitive reserve could help people cope better with the effects of age and delay any symptoms of dementia. Source
Conclusion
Yeah, I just read this awesome article, I and my friends will go jump from a cliff, or I and my friends will smoke weed all day, or I and my friends will like to hike to an unknown place. I'm not telling you to forget who you are and what you like to do, I'm only telling you to loosen up a bit and socialize with people more often. My number one rule in life is moderation, moderate the way and manner you socialize. Anything done in excess or deficit isn't healthy. Kindly write out one thing you can do in excess or deficit that is healthy in the comments below, good luck finding anyone(smiles). All I'm saying is that improve your social skills and enjoy the benefits it gives you.
There will be continuation for this topic, because I have some more information that I still want to share but the length of the article is already discouraging for some people to read, smiles. So keep your eyes on the look out for the Part 2.
Well, amid this unprecedented Covid-19, now isn't the best time to be super social. Maintain the rules, 6 feet distance and put on your face masks if necessary. You can video call family members and friends to check up on them. The world is a social place, that's why inventions keep coming, to help improve socialization. We have snapchat, whatsapp and many more social media apps that can help us socialize in difficult times like this. Hence, SOCIALIZE.
So Till Next Time, Stay Safe.
References
Ref 1 | Ref 2 | Ref 3 | Ref 4 | Ref 5 | Ref 6 | Ref 7 | Ref 8 | Ref 9 | Ref 10 | Ref 11
I love this article. You are engaging, clear and persuasive. While you write in a conversational tone, everything you say is backed up by research. I don't think anyone will find this too long. Part 2 will be welcome.
I did have a question as I read (sorry, I always have questions!). I wondered about people with autism, especially mild autism where there is no cognitive impairment but where the social deficit is significant. I wonder if the neurological 'wiring' is different so there is not the built-in need for socialization. Do autistic people who avoid socialization feel lonely? Do they have a sense of alienation because they can't socialize but want to? Or is it that they are marginalized by society because they are different?
So happy @lemouth featured your article, or I might have missed it. Nice to make your acquaintance, @menoski. Stay safe :)
Edit: reposting and sharing on Twitter
Thanks for coming around @agmoore. No need to be sorry, I like questions, it makes the comment section more interactive and it's good for the entire Hive platform.
I think people with autism may not be built with the need for socialisation. And hence, don't feel lonely. Although, they may need to communicate atimes, like the need for people to help them, but that's not same as the pure need to socialise. They don't have cognitive ability to think they are not living the good life, that's why the parents or close relations to people with autism suffer more emotionally than the autistic people.
Although, I'm not 100% sure of my answer, that's why I indicated with I "think". Most likely I will add this to the part 2. Hence, I will do more research on it.
Thanks to @lemouth and @steemstem for featuring my article. Greatly appreciated.
Thanks again @agmoore, for coming around, stay safe
Thank you!
I know socialisation had important benefits but I never really thought about it. I am personally very social. I need my colleagues, my friends, interactions, etc... And with this COVID period, I start to really feel something is missing. I am confined more or less since mid February (yeah I had a bonus thanks to a trip to Korea in February) and I am really not feeling nice those days...
On the side, we are using a lot of video-conference tools to see others (colleagues and family), but this is different. We also try to have drinks with the neighbours, each on their side of the fence, and this helps a bit. Hopefully, things will soon become a little bit clearer, but I must admit that I believe life will never be the same again, when all of this will be behind us...
I see how this Covid-19 lockdown will affect you very much. You are the social type. Today, in this country, 2 days time, another country. Staying in one place and not having face to face conversation could be very annoying to you. Smiles, I know you will survive.
You could be correct about life never going back to how it used to be before Covid-19 happened. Although, life could be as we used to know if before Covid-19 happened, but it might take awhile. Like 2 years. Even if the vaccine is around the globe, which might take about 3 months and more from now. It till won't make everywhere safe. Some people might not be showing the signs and keep on spreading it. Except we accept the theory of 666 (which is laughable but could come to reality), where, those who have taken the Covid-19 vaccine with be given a chip which will enable them travel, buy food, get a job, etc.
Or, the Covid-19 will just disappear like magic, which I doubt. But we can't be too sure, smiles.
We can't absolutely predict the future, but all we can do now, is to hope for a better future.
Thanks for coming around @lemouth.
I am social but my traveling attitude is not that one anymore. I used to travel a lot for work (at least before the Covid crisis), but I much more rarely travel for the sake of traveling (and only with the full family in this case). I am happy to see many different faces, but those faces could be in the same city ;)
I agree with you: we have no idea of what will happen next. Let;'s stay tune (what else could we do, TBH ;) ).
This is such a wonderful article @menoski :) What else can I say?
Well, I suppose I can compliment the angle from which you decided to approach this topic: from the perspective of an introvert.
It reminded me of my brother - a pretty introvert guy. Throughout his life he always seemed to be quite happy in his "own company". But, he surprised me when a few years back he needed to move to another city (for work). During the first two or three months there (while he was still establishing new relationships) he often called me complaining about his feelings of loneliness. The lack of social connectedness overwhelmed him so much he was willing to throw an excellent job opportunity out of the window and go back to our home town. He almost did it!
But then he met a girl (now his wife) who has a big family and good friends. It wasn't long until he started to experience a new sense of belonging , of togetherness. It completely changed his mind set and subjective well-being. It is not like he is now a party guy or anything like that. But he doesn't feel isolated anymore. That was all he needed to regain a sense of meaning and purpose in life :)
I also appreciate how you brought up the importance of socializing for the older generation :) Great work you've done here. I'm pleased to hear there is a part 2 on the way!
Take care and all the best to you my dear :*
We are all social creatures. We feel the happiest when we are with someone or group of people. An introverted person might not agree but deep inside, he/she knows. I'm glad your brother found his wife, which brought a new feeling of belonging to something superb. Some people don't find it, and live on sad and lonely. Socialising is super important and necessary to keep our mental health at a good condition.
I'm super excited seeing your comment on my article. I'm honored.
This is a well-written post @menoski, the kind that my good friend @abigail-dantes will love to read. Welcome back to the community and keep up the good work. Hope to see more of you on hive.
Thanks @gentleshaid. Yeah, @abigail-dantes is the legend in psychology articles. Is she still active? I'm glad to be back. Definitely, you will more articles from me, there's a lockdown 😉. Hive seems more like home (smiles).
Abigail is active although she's not be writing herself. Hive is what everyone wanted steem to be.
Yea, @abigail-dantes is still active. She just voted my article. I can't believe that Hive is less than 2 months old and is active, it's amazing.
I'm glad you're back too @menoski <3 :)
I trust you and all your loved ones are healthy and safe !
I'm glad to be back too. Hopefully we see your superb contents again in few days/weeks to come.
Yeah, I and my loved ones are safe. I hope you and your loved ones are also safe.
Can't wait for normalcy in the world. I see a vaccine for Covid-19 coming in less than 2 months from now.
Thank you for bringing this write-up to my attention my thoughtful friend from far away! You do know my taste :*
Please continue to take care over there.
Kisses to the little one <3
You are welcome Àbí. There's no way I will see this kind of topic and not think of you.
Between, I heard some not-so-good news from Brazil a few days ago. I hope your loved ones over there are safe.
Take care ma'am.
Reposting and sharing on Twitter. #posh
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