How Relationships Can Help Us Get Through the Pandemic

The pandemic has taught us a lot of things during these last 18 months about life.

Not only things about our physical and mental health, but also about our relationships. And now a new study is out that found that relationships with other people can improve both our physical and mental health.

With many baby boomers already retired and many others planning to in the next few years, and the pandemic having forced a lot of empty nesters and older single people to be isolated and alone for months, the study discovered something that can help. Researchers from Penn State say that maintaining an active social life into old age can help adults improve their mental ability on a day-to-day basis.

They found that when older folks have more frequent and pleasant social interactions, even digitally or by phone, their brains become sharper and they display stronger cognitive functioning and it lasts for several days following each social interaction. The researchers in fact were surprised to find that the cognitive benefits of having pleasant social interactions happened almost immediately afterwards.

So the study confirms what we already really know, that human beings are not supposed to be alone, that we all need to have relationships with others and the research suggests that’s a good thing for people of all ages, especially those who have found themselves alone during this long and continuing pandemic.

READ MORE about study.

(Photo Getty Images)