Social relationships and Health

CNN's 5 Good Things internet newsletter always offers good advice and today one of the five good things was about the much talked and written about effect of social connections on our emotiona AND physical health!

Having just had my sister over this afternoon, I was reflecting on how happy I am when we spend time together even though most of the time, we aren't hanging out, but she is helping me do errands and chores. My sister is 20 yers younger than I am and she is a mighty physical force. Every two weeks or so, she comes over for 2 to 4 hours to do shopping and heavier cleaning for me. I pay her $30 an hour this year. I can do the easy stuff like dishes and surfaces, tidying and feeding the pets and scooping the litter, but as my knees and back have worsened some tasks are very difficult for me -mopping, vacuuming, and the steps to the basement for laundry. She helps with these.

Movement, nature, art, service and belonging

The above are the CNN named "pillars" of socializing. Doing something together, getting outside into nature, doing things that put you in the zone, helping others and feeling as though you belong to some group. Our local Senior Center offers classes in fitness and chair yoga. Fortunately for me there are several parks of all sizes near where I live and I am walking around Martin's Lake evey morning. It is 1/2 mile. I take my dog and today my sister walked there with us.

For Art, I am fotunate enough to have been an Art teacher and I have done art all my life. Just about 20 minutes from my home is a charming gallery and coffee cafe called The Station and Eiland Arts Center. I am invited half a dozen times a year to enter work in their group shows and I just completed a painting and a collage for the upcoming show on the theme of TRAVEL.

Possibly the only service I perform preently is at my Quaker Meeting in Woodbury where I have been doing First Day School for our youngest member for a year. I have done other service projects there as well. I founded (with help) a gallery in the reception area of a building on our grounds which was not longer in use. We have had 3 shows so far. Also, I provided arm rails for our bathrooms, pads for some of our benches, and other things over the years. The Friends Meeting is also a place where I experience Belonging, the fifth pillar.

Previously I joyfully volunteered at a variety of local historical locations: Red Bank Battlefield, Gloucester County Historical Society, Alice Paul Institute, and Bayshore Discovery Project. My deteriorating joints sadly put an end to all that. I had a lot of fun volunteering and I met a lot of wonderful people. I strongly recommend it!

I tell you these things not because I am bragging but to give you an idea of specific ways you can implement the pillars in your life. Another thing, I have an adopted shelter dog and when I walk her, I meet many people and have made a couple of new friends in this way. Good for my dog, good for me! I guess that counts as 'service' and shelters are also great places that welcome volunteers!

Get cnnnected! Don't be shy about contacting an old friend and inviting that friend for a lunch. Send a card and your contact information to an old friend you haven't seen in a long time. A couple of years ago, a great niece moved into my area and I invited her to lunch and we have made it a monthly plan! I have enjoyed spending time with a young person and it is something we both look forward to.

Some other socializing I do that you could consider is, when I retired, some of my teaching colleagues and I set up a seasonal get-together lunch to catch up with one another's lives.

Lunch is my favorite way to get together, it is light and easy to drive, not too expensive and we have dozens of good nearby places to eat. Two of my neighbors and I go out to eat monthly now at Maritsa's. One of my old hiking buddies and I meet every 2 to 3 weeks at the Colonial Diner where they have a big VEGAN menu because she is a vegan. I like to get out to lunch about once a week.

I hope this gives you some ideas on ways you can boost your social interactions. I love solitude more than most people but I agree that it is importnt to nurture and enjoy the social ties with friends and family in whatever ways you can, for your good, and you may be surprised how much it might mean to others! Oh yes, I text with some friends on a daily basis too!

I just leanred there is an art workshop not too far from here and on a free Friday I may try that out as well! I learned about it from a visitor to the Friendship Art Gallery, the one I wrote about earlier in this post that was founded by me with the help of Friends.

Happy Trails, Jo Ann

wrightj45@yahoo.com