Start the new year by making new connections with your neighbors

There are many ways we take care of our health, from eating healthy foods and moving our bodies to visiting the doctor for annual exams. But social connection is one aspect of aging and living well that is often overlooked.

According to the 2023 U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory, “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation,” social connection is an important factor in our health. A survey cited in the advisory found that older adults with diabetes who have a large support network had a reduced risk of mortality.

People can become lonely when they lack social connections. The advisory defines loneliness as “the subjective distressing experience that results from perceived isolation or inadequate meaningful connections.”

Growing your social circle and building meaningful connections with others can help reduce isolation and loneliness. The advisory outlines three important components of social connection: Structure: The number of relationships we have, how varied they are and how frequently we interact.

Function: How well the relationships are fulfilling our needs.

Quality: The positive and negative qualities of relationships.

One place to start making connections is right in our own neighborhoods. How often do we reach out to neighbors and see how they are doing? Do we go beyond a hello wave at the mailbox or apartment building lobby?

Our neighborhoods can be a community of builtin social connections. By fostering a community focused on connection and mutual support, we add variety to our social circles and provide an opportunity to build positive relationships close to home.

The HHS Know Your Neighbor campaign can help. The campaign encourages Texans to form and maintain new connections with older neighbors to help reduce the risks of isolation and loneliness. Resources for individuals and organizations — such as a toolkit, template emails, letters and resource sheets — can make it easier to make connections.

Go to the Aging Well Resources Form, enter your basic information, choose “Know Your Neighbor” in the program dropdown and get started.

Visit Age Well Live Well: Be Connected | Texas Health and Human Services for more ways to create new connections.