If a random yap session or do-nothing hangout has left you feeling warm and glowy, you know how even everyday interactions can lift your spirits. “But social connection isn’t just mood-boosting,” Kasley Killam, MPH, a social scientist and author of The Art and Science of Connection, tells SELF. “It’s core to how your body is working and a driver of physical health and longevity.”
That’s the idea behind the concept of social health, which Killam defines as “the dimension of your overall well-being that comes from your relationships.” In 2025, the World Health Organization released a report designating social health as a “vital but often overlooked pillar of health,” and “just as essential as physical and mental health.” And experts increasingly suggest thinking of strong social connections as just as significant a contributor to longevity as big hitters like exercise and a nutritious diet.
Researchers have measured connection in different ways—for instance, the number of ties you have to community organizations and groups; the extent to which you can lean on people if you’re in a jam; and how satisfied you are with the relationships you have, Elliot Friedman, PhD, a professor of gerontology at Purdue University who studies healthy aging, tells SELF. And studies on all these dimensions of socializing have uncovered positive links with longevity, he says. Read on to learn the main reasons why, and how to nourish your social life for the long haul.
Five ways a strong social network can add years to your life
1. It softens the impact of stress.
Chronic stress strains your heart, impedes immune function, interferes with digestion, even risks impairing focus and memory. While we can’t avoid stress entirely, having friends and loved ones can help lessen the everyday burden.
If something bad happens, good friends can supply “a shoulder to cry on, or help you think about it differently, or find the silver lining, all of which can help you feel more at ease,” Dr. Friedman explains. In a broader sense, your relationships can also keep you from wallowing in your struggles. “Knowing that people are around who care about you, who are there to support you, can give you the oomph to move forward,” Claudia Trudel-Fitzgerald, PhD, assistant professor of psychology at University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières and affiliate scientist at Harvard’s Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness, tells SELF.
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