Our Mental Health and the Key to a Happy Life

Our Mental Health and the Key to a Happy Life: “Social Health”

Robert Waldinger, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and Marc Shulz, associate director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development and a psychotherapist, explain in today’s article on CNBC how the relationships in our lives affect us physically. Have you ever noticed the invigoration you feel when you think someone really understands you during a good conversation? Or suffer from lack of sleep in a time of strife?

To make sure your relationships are healthy and balanced, it’s important to pursue ‘social health’.

We tend to think that once we establish friendships and close relationships, they will take care of themselves. But our social life is a living system and needs ‘exercise’.

In life relationships there are seven main pillars:

Security: Who would you call if you woke up scared in the middle of the night? Who would you turn to in a moment of crisis?

Learning and growth: Who encourages you to try new things, take risks, and pursue your life goals?

Emotional closeness and trust: Who knows everything (or most things) about you? Who can you turn to when you’re feeling “down” and be honest about how you feel?

Identity Affirmation and Shared Experience: Is there someone in your life who has shared many experiences with you and who helps strengthen your sense of who you are?

Intimacy: Do you feel satisfied with the level of intimacy you have developed with your partner?

Help (both informational and practical): Who do you turn to if you need some expertise or help to solve a practical problem (eg planting a tree, or fixing your WiFi connection)?

Fun and relaxation: Who makes you laugh? Whom do you invite to see a movie or go on a trip? Who do you feel connected and comfortable with?