Here at Discovery Village At Tampa Palms, we take our resident’s happiness and health as our utmost priority. In order to ensure that all residents do not fall into social isolation and loneliness, which are two health complications increasingly faced by older adults these days, we encourage residents to partake in our Celebrations Activities and Events. Through this lifestyle program, residents are given opportunities to lead a healthy social life by mingling with other residents and forming meaningful connections with each other. A healthy social life is extremely important for everyone, but especially so for older adults. Here are some benefits of a healthy social life that can positively impact you.
Improved Mental Health
As mentioned above, older adults these days have an increased risk of developing social isolation and loneliness. These two problems can lead to poor mental health, such as depression, anxiety, and other symptoms like a loss of appetite and being easily irritable. As such, having a healthy social life is a way to better well-being as you are happier and more relaxed while being surrounded by friends. Some activities can even ease stress and provide opportunities for you to seek comfort in your lives. All these help to improve one’s mental health over time, allowing you to feel more positive and healthier.
Increased Self-Worth
Many people who are retired may soon lose their sense of purpose as they’re constantly bored and have no tasks or responsibilities to attend to. A healthy social life helps to take away this feeling as socialization allows people to have something to look forward to. Aside from anticipating any meet-ups with friends and other associates, activities may even provide a challenge for the individuals, which encourages them to step out of their comfort zone and conquer any difficulties. For example, some artistic activities like pottery and knitting can be relatively challenging and require much practice to master. You can take time to hone your skills, and this helps you to regain your purpose in life.
Reduce Risk of Poor Cognitive Health
A way to slow down or prevent the onset of dementia and other memory loss-related conditions is to lead a more active and engaged lifestyle. As socialization and taking part in activities require you to engage your brain and think analytically at times, this helps to boost the brain’s performance and function, in turn improving cognitive health along the way. A healthy brain is crucial for us as it allows us to continue being independent, solve mental challenges, and have the capability to perform both basic and complex tasks.
Promote Better Quality of Life
All in all, a healthy social life allows people to have a better quality of life, in which we’re happier, less stressed, and more content with our daily living. As you take a proactive approach to meeting friends and forming new ones along the way, you have a sense of belonging in the community. Good quality of life means that you are healthy not only in the physical and mental sense but also spiritually and emotionally.
