Social activities are very important for active aging
They seem to improve emotional health [1], which leads to a positive feedback mechanism for health and engagement. Activities such as volunteering, cooking or working out in a group help people to connect with others and get involved in their communities They also help fight off loneliness, isolation, and depression, which are big hazards to mental health in old age and the main goal we pursue with our project Active Aging and 4 Ways to Kick Post-Retirement Depression.
Social Enhancement happens everywhere, all the time
Social activities, like informal conversations , group hobbies, formal volunteering, and community engagement, to only name a few, promote emotional well-being through various interrelated psychological and biological mechanisms:
1. Less stress and mental protection
Being involved in meaningful social relationships has a strong influence in reducing stress. Talking to other people about your worries and experiences might help you feel lighter and make stressors less intense for you. The presence of a strong social network offers tangible and emotional support during difficult times, which acts as a protective shield against the development of mental health issues like anxiety and depression [2]. Especially the latter is common amongst adults transitioning from work-life into retirement, also because a lot of social contacts from the working environment are lost, as several studies in past years showed [3]. This doesn’t have to be true for everyone though. It can also happen that depressive symptoms decrease after retirement, which however is largely dependent on the context people retire from [4]. As you can see there is, as with many things in life, no “one size fits all” which is why our project wants to create activities and environments where people can connect based on their interests. This automatically leads to more positive feelings and a sense of belonging which can serve as protective factors in times where there is more loneliness present again as suggested by the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions [5].
2. Boosting your self-esteem and your brainpower
Many social activities, especially those that help you learn new skills, including team sports, book clubs, and music classes, are great for boosting your self-esteem and self-efficacy. The Self-Determination Theory suggests that humans need three basic needs satisfied in order to experience well-being: autonomy (engaging with a task or an activity completely voluntarily), competence (experience mastery/proficiency in what they are doing), and lastly relatedness (feeling connected to others in a meaningful way) [6]. Learning a new skill isn’t always smooth sailing and that is good because it builds character strength and can help navigate inevitable challenges that we face at any unexpected moment [7]. Especially in today's world where so much of how we view ourselves is tied to our work, it can be great to learn what else you are capable of and share that experience with others. Positive feedback and interaction can enhance these positive effects even further and can make it easier to create a connection with new people.
Empirical Evidence and Practical Implications
Many research studies back up the idea that engaging in social activities is linked to better emotional health:
Longitudinal Studies: Research repeatedly demonstrates that people with a greater diversity (type of activities and people who take part) and frequency and depth of social contacts have reduced rates of mortality and morbidity, which are frequently associated with improved mental health outcomes .
Volunteering and Altruism: Participating in altruistic social activities, such as volunteering, has been directly associated with the so-called "helper's high," a release of mood-enhancing neurochemicals like endorphins, resulting in increased life satisfaction and reduced symptoms of depression.
The Power of Strong links: The strongest and most essential determinants of long-term well-being are strong, intimate relationships with family and friends, making them one of the focus areas of public health strategy that have to be improved the most
This means a variety of accessible social activities, including intergenerational programs, community centers, and workplace social events have to be provided in order for the positive benefits of social interaction to reach everyone.
Social activities are not just entertaining; they are an important part of staying emotionally well.
In the end, prioritizing social activities turns emotional health into physical health, which is what the World Health Organization wants for active aging: to improve one's quality of life by maximizing possibilities for health, participation, and security throughout life. This philosophy is also what guides our project, with a variety of activities reaching from expressing your creativity in Art Therapy to getting to know your body better through Yoga and Meditation.
Authors: Sezen Turan Yapıcı, ANTALYA KEPEZ ILCE MILLI EGITIM MUDURLUGU and Lea Laciak, Outdoor Against Cancer
References
1. Yen HY, Chi MJ, Huang HY. Social engagement for mental health: An international survey of older populations. Int Nurs Rev. 2022 Sep;69(3):359-368. doi: 10.1111/inr.12737. Epub 2021 Dec 7. PMID: 34874057.
2. Taylor, S. E., Sherman, D. K., Kim, H. S., Jarcho, J., Takagi, K., & Dunagan, C. M. (2004). Social support and the regulation of stress responses. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30(4), 417-425. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15382985/]
3. Li W, Ye X, Zhu D, He P. The Longitudinal Association Between Retirement and Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Am J Epidemiol. 2021 Oct 1;190(10):2220-2230. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwab125. PMID: 33913467.
4. Mirkka Lahdenperä, Marianna Virtanen, Saana Myllyntausta, Jaana Pentti, Jussi Vahtera, Sari Stenholm, Psychological Distress During the Retirement Transition and the Role of Psychosocial Working Conditions and Social Living Environment, The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, Volume 77, Issue 1, January 2022, Pages 135–148, https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbab054
5. Fredrickson BL. The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2004 Sep 29;359(1449):1367-78. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2004.1512. PMID: 15347528; PMCID: PMC1693418.
6. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/self-determination-theory
7. Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2009). Character Strengths: Research and Practice. Journal of College and Character, 10(4). https://doi.org/10.2202/1940-1639.1042