Helen Keller once noted that “having a friend in the dark is better than being alone in the light”.

While the high-profile author and political activist may have been referring to her deafblindness, it is more likely that she was suggesting that the companionship of a friend is more valuable than being alone - even in difficult times.

Evidence suggests that having a strong friendship group, supportive neighbours and others who watch out and care for us is great for our health and wellbeing.

The number and strength of your relationships and social connections can help reduce anxiety and depression.

However, not everyone is as socially connected as they would like, with research showing at least one in every 10 people experience loneliness at least once a year.

Better Health Victoria says having regular contact with others can also have an effect on your physical wellbeing, helping to regulate stress levels and lower blood pressure and cortisol levels.

Strong, healthy relationships can also help strengthen your immune system, aid disease recovery, and even lengthen your life, it suggests.

“A varied social network can help protect against physical decline. What’s more, the benefits of social ties are significant, even if your other mortality risk factors (such as socioeconomic status, smoking, drinking, obesity and lack of physical activity) are low. In other words, even if you live a healthy life, you still need to be socially active to stay well and happy.”
 

What are the different friendship groups we should have?

One of the best things we can do as we age is to continue to nurture relationships with people that make us feel good, vsays. 
 
Typically, these are divided into three separate groups. Intimate connections are with people who love and care for us, such as family and friends. 

Relational connections are those who we see regularly and share an interest with, such as the barista from whom we buy our morning coffee. And the last group are Collective connections with people who we share a group membership or an affiliation with, such as those who vote for the same political party, or people who share the same faith as us.

It's important to ask yourself if you have meaningful relationships in all three of these areas and to be honest about your social habits.

“Think about the sorts of relationships you have with people and the sorts of relationships you would like to have. You might find you want to make new friendships, or perhaps you want to try to make your existing relationships stronger,” Better Health suggests.

How do I make new friends?

It can be difficult venturing out of your comfort zone to meet new people.

Start by reaching out to the people you may already know, such as family, neighbours or fellow café dwellers.

 Give someone a call, or send them a message and let them know you would like to be in touch more often. Think about what you already have in common and arrange to have a coffee or a meal, a walk in the park or play chess. 

If you are feeling brave, there are lots of ways to meet new people to add to your social circle.

Think about starting a conversation with the regular checkout operator at your local supermarket, someone you see regularly at the dog park or the people you see at your bus stop.

Not all strategies will work for everyone, so try some different approaches to see what works for you. Beyond Blue also has a publication called “Connections Matter Helping Older People Stay Socially Active” which can also assist. 

“The idea of social connection is to share your time, experiences and stories with people, and to also listen to them,” Better Health says. “Gradually, you will build a group of people in your life who care about you, and who you also care about. Both your mind and body will reap the rewards.”

Assisting you to become more engaged with your local community and providing transport for social meet and greets are just some of the many tasks Just Better Care Support Workers excel at. If you feel like you could use a helping hand, contact your local Just Better Care office to see how we can help.