MENTAL HEALTH/SENIORS/RESEARCH
To Maintain Good Mental Health, we Need to Interact with 5 People Each Day
For seniors, this can be a real challenge
I mentioned this the other night at a monthly sorority meeting and after a initial reaction of crickets, my bestie said — “Does my dog count?” After the laughter died down more joined in and it went like this:
“I yell at the tv, does that count?” “I talk to my pharmacist and the checkers at the grocery store, does this count?” “Oh I know — I’m talking to the guys laying down our floors everyday, so I’m good!” I added, “I talk to myself everyday so does that count?”… No wonder we’re called crazy old people!”
You see where I’m going, right?
Per an article I read recently in Psychology Today, “socializing provides a number of benefits to your physical and mental health. Connecting with family and friends boosts your brain health and lowers your risk of dementia. Conversing with at least 5 people a day is beneficial for living a longer life and enjoying better physical health as well.”
Really?…Five people. Crap — in this introvert’s book, that’s a veritable party. Hmm, so how are seniors, who maybe living alone for whatever reason and don’t get out much, suppose to accomplish this?
Our group pondered this for a few minutes and we came up with the usual ways to find interaction like; volunteering, joining clubs based on our interests, being active in church, helping out at food pantries or kitchens, getting friends together for card games, planned coffees or lunches out, plus professional orgs connected to your career.
But what about social medias, like FB and sites like Medium? Don’t these count? Per my research and the experts, not really… Mental health benefits from face-to-face contact — but not online…Well this sucks.
It’s estimated that 1/4th of adults over the age of 65 in this country are considered to be socially isolated, but there is help available. Supposedly doctors have the resources to help us connect with national agencies that can connect us with community resources for help. Here are some of them to Goggle:
AARP, Area Agencies on Aging, Eldercare Locator, National Council on Aging, and the National Institute on Aging.
After reading the experts I now have to count myself as one of those who’s socially isolated even though I still have a spouse and I get out at least a couple of times a week…It’s errands mostly, but still. I also talk on the phone to two people almost everyday, and my sorority sisters are a club, and I don’t care what they say — my dog, Tucker, counts! And I’m counting Medium too, because a lot of my followers are also on-line friends, so they count…You count!
Thanks for reading and thoughtful writing everyone.
