11 tips to stay connected at the time of physical distancing
As countries around the globe are relaxing social distancing rules and stay at home recommendations, we keep exploring the skills section of the functional nutrition matrix and take a dive in a topic which I find to be more important now than ever: the link between relationships and social networks and immune health.
The role of social environment, including social relationships and relationship with work, on health outcomes has been studied only since the end of the 70s [1].
A meta-analytic review from 2010, based on 148 studies, looked at how the individuals’ experiences within social relationships are related to mortality (mortality for all causes, excluding suicide or injury). It found that people with stronger social relationships have a 50% increased likelihood of survival than those with weaker social relationships. And that 50% might actually be an underestimation. In fact, in the studies that included more than just one type of measure of social relationships, showed a much stronger association. It’s interesting to note also that initial health status was not found to moderate the effect of social relationships on mortality. According to this analysis, the influence of social relationships on the risk of death is comparable with quitting smoking and exceeds other known risk factors for mortality such as obesity and physical inactivity [2]!
We are all different! Does our individual perception of loneliness and isolation play a role? Yes. Our physical and social environments influence the expression of hundreds of genes, among which some related to the immune system. As we have already seen in the case of stress (Stress and the immune system: 11 tips to build resilience), the individual perception of the social environment has a stronger effect compared to more “objective” types of measures. For instance, the effect of “feeling lonely” is stronger than that of being single [3].
But let’s go back to our immune health.
Is there an effect of relationships on the immune system in particular?
You bet there is!
Studies focused on the effect of social environment gene expression related to the immune response. And it was found that people experiencing chronic social isolation (compared to socially integrated people) showed an enhanced expression of genes related to a pro-inflammatory immune response and a downregulation of the expression of genes related to an anti-viral immune response [3].
Loneliness has been associated in lower activity of Natural Killer cells and higher antibody titers to viruses such as Epstein Barr and human herpes viruses, suggesting poorer control over the viruses [4]. In freshmen year students, loneliness was even found to be associated with poorer antibody response one of the components of the flu vaccine [5]!
One possible mechanism that explains the link between social relationships and the immune system is related to the fact that the quantity and quality of our relationships as well as engaging in caring behavious have a direct effect on our levels of stress. And we have explored the relationship between stress and immune health in Stress and the immune system: 11 tips to build resilience.
Furthermore social relationships may encourage healthy behaviours thus indirectly affecting immune health.
So what can we do to remain socially connected during this special period?
Here some tips!
First of all, let’s start thinking of social distancing as “physical distancing” and considering how that doesn’t need to be a synonym of social isolation.
Use the power of technology and get on calls or video calls with your family and friends and give an extra call, especially to someone you know is lonely.
Organise or take part in group activities in a video-call: cooking and having a meal together, doing yoga or gym classes in a virtual group… think about your favourite activities to do with friends! Can you find a way to do them virtually?
Remember to take some time to disconnect from technology too though! And if you live with your family, your partner or roommates make the best of your time together with common activities, interesting and brain-stimulating discussions, and healthy meals!
Write an old-fashioned, hand-written letter to a friend or loved one.
Take part in global meditations or prayers.
If you have the chance, offer your help in the community, i.e. by doing groceries for someone who can’t.
If allowed, meet a friend outdoors and go for a walk or for a run: combine the positive effects on the immune system of social connection, movement and stress reduction!
The quality of the relationships and interactions matter too. Maybe there are relationships in your life that you can consider “detoxing” right now?
As we are slowly allowed more freedom to meet each other, let’s do that. We can do that in small steps or ways we feel comfortable with. In this way we can get used to social contacts again, and by doing that support our health and immune systems through meaningful connection. Think of meeting outdoors vs indoors, starting meeting the same restricted number of people in the beginning, avoiding physical contacts….
And finally, as we slowly get back to more social interactions, please be mindful of other people’s fears and desired boundaries. Remember, we are all at different places.
Now, I’d like to hear from you! What have you been doing in the past months to stay connected? Have you found a way to give a contribution to your community? What have you been missing? Please let me know in the comments below!
Do you need personal support with your diet and lifestyle during this particularly challenging time? Book your free 20-minute phone consultation here!
References
[1] Bottaccioli Francesco “Psiconeuroendocrinoimmunologia. I fondamenti scientifici delle relazioni mente-corpo. Le basi razionali della medicina integrata”, Red edizioni, 2005
[2] Holt-Lunstad, Julianne et al. “Social relationships and mortality risk: a meta-analytic review.” PLoS medicine vol. 7,7: e1000316 (2010)
[3] Slavich, George M, and Steven W Cole. “The Emerging Field of Human Social Genomics.” Clinical psychological science : a journal of the Association for Psychological Science vol. 1,3 (2013): 331-348.
[4] Hawkley, Louise C, and John T Cacioppo. “Loneliness matters: a theoretical and empirical review of consequences and mechanisms.” Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine vol. 40,2 (2010): 218-27.
[5] Pressman SD, Cohen S, Miller GE, et al. “Loneliness, social network size, and immune response to influenza vaccination in college freshmen.” Health Psychol. Vol.24 (2005): 297-306.
Comments