STRONGER TOGETHER
We’re probably all a little bit guilty of taking those close to us for granted, at times. But a new study from the USA is a salient reminder of why we should nurture our friendships and sense of community. While previous research assumed loneliness was a temporary feeling of distress, new data, compiled over 11 years, shows that’s not the case at all. Evolutionarily speaking, our emotions are there to motivate us to act in ways that keep us alive. When we feel pain, it’s a nudge to take care of our bodies, when we feel fear, it’s to make us run. When it comes to loneliness, it’s a prompt to make us repair or replace ‘deficient relationships’. In fact, we have evolved to become such a powerful species largely thanks to this – because we learned to help and protect one another when these instincts kicked in. When we don’t respond to them, and we instead let loneliness linger, we become more focused on our own interests and welfare. Sure, looking after number one can protect us in the short term, but long term it damages our health and emotional wellbeing. So cherish your friendships!
Words Laura Potter. Photograph iStock
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September 2017
 
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