Empowering Connections and Growing Happiness

Articles on Happiness, Belonging, Social Connection and Social Isolation

 

“The interactions we have with other people affect the way we feel about life. Our close relationships keep us grounded and influence both happiness and the sense that we are part of a larger community.”       https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/ulterior-motives/201407/why-other-people-are-the-key-our-happiness

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“Individuals who feel a strong sense of belonging to social groups are much happier people, according to new research by psychologists.”    https://www.ntu.ac.uk/about-us/news/news-articles/2016/05/happiness-effect-down-to-sense-of-belonging-study-shows

 

“Developing a greater understanding of how we become more deeply connected to and rooted in our communities is key enhancing the quality of the lives we lead and the places where we live.”

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-09-22/why-people-stay-where-they-are

 

“Humans are so fundamentally social that we can even bond with strangers over the very experience of not having anyone with whom to bond.”

https://hbr.org/2019/12/the-value-of-belonging-at-work

 

“Belonging is essential for our psychological and physical health and can play a role in the way we think and interact with the world.”

https://www.psychology.org.au/for-members/publications/inpsych/2019/june/Making-sense-of-belonging

 

“Belonging is a fundamental part of being human: We need people and this need is hardwired into our brains.” https://www.forbes.com/sites/tracybrower/2021/01/10/missing-your-people-why-belonging-is-so-important-and-how-to-create-it/?sh=2f5f0fc07c43

 

“A sense of belonging to a greater community improves your motivation, health, and happiness. When you see your connection to others, you know that all people struggle and have difficult times. You are not alone. There is comfort in that knowledge.”

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/pieces-mind/201403/create-sense-belonging

 

“…loneliness is defined by people’s levels of satisfaction with their connectedness, or their perceived social isolation.” https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/05/ce-corner-isolation

 

"Our research really shows that the magnitude of risk presented by social isolation is very similar in magnitude to that of obesity, smoking, lack of access to care and physical inactivity," she says.

                -Kassandra Alcaraz, PhD, MPH, a public health researcher with the American Cancer Society (https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/188/1/102/5133254?login=true)

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"Lacking encouragement from family or friends, those who are lonely may slide into unhealthy habits," Valtorta says. "In addition, loneliness has been found to raise levels of stress, impede sleep and, in turn, harm the body. Loneliness can also augment depression or anxiety." A 2016 study led by Newcastle University epidemiologist Nicole Valtorta, PhD (Heart, Vol. 102, No. 13)

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“…researchers at the Florida State University College of Medicine also found that loneliness is associated with a 40 percent increase in a person’s risk of dementia (The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, online 2018). Led by Angelina Sutin, PhD…”  https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/01/23/798676465/most-americans-are-lonely-and-our-workplace-culture-may-not-be-helping