There are the standard building blocks to being well: nutrition, movement, stress relief.  Probably even natural care, where you: one, make time for self care and, two, find ways to do so more naturally, seems more of the norm. And then there are the ones that may catch you by surprise: mindset, simplicity, play, spirituality. And … connection.

Connection counts. And can often help you be more healthy than what might be expected, given your environment and lifestyle.

Seriously? Seriously.

Long ago, scientists swooped down on a pocket of Americans living in a little place in Pennsylvania. Why? Because they couldn’t make sense of how those people were staying so well in the face of their lifestyles. Which included, among other things, smoking cigars, drinking an abundance of wine, working in toxic environments and eating plenty of cholesterol-laden food. Surrounding communities that seemed similar didn’t have the same, positive health stats. It was a puzzle. It needed solved.

You know what scientists found? You know what that group of people had that a lot of people don’t? Community. Connection. Support and love and care from that community. As the report says, they were “nourished by people.”

Key word — nourished. I’m not talking about family or friends or whatever for the sake of that at face value. Or sheer numbers. I’m talking about connections that are positive, loving without strings attached, caring, kind, respectful, honorable. Connections that don’t have that? Worthless. It’s not only that they aren’t valuable or don’t contribute anything to your life. It’s that bad connections trash your health. Yes, if you have a number of people in your life who tear you down, make you feel lousy about yourself, and so on, that’s an opening for illness. Do the best you can to limit or skip contact with those people. You deserve better. Yes, you do.

Back to the scientific study, which reported:

No one was alone. No one seemed too unhappy or too stressed out. And the proof was a heart attack death rate almost half of everyone else around them. Wealthier towns suffered more from heart disease even though their medical facilities, diet and occupations were either better or at least equal to that in the small town.

Unfortunately, as suburbanization took hold in the area years later, social ties weakened. The effect? The first person ever under the age of 45 died of a heart attack in that area.

So, is it useless to try to keep the benefits of that sort of connection alive? No. Not at all. What you can take from this is that it pays to be aware of your connections. Take time for those wonderful ones. Spend little or no time with those that make you feel awful. (You’ll know; believe me, you’ll know.) Positive connection carries so many benefits: Those for your health and those for living a life you’ll love. Pretty ‘portant stuff.

Connection can happen in lots of ways, too, more than the typical family/friend relationship. Volunteering for something you care about can create a great connection feel. Don’t just send in some bucks; get in there and help out. You’ll meet like-minded people and do some good for the world. Pets give you pure connection. Taking part in any sort of group you enjoy equals connection. Talk to new people. Be warm and interested in them. Don’t make it all about you. That’s not connection. That’s a one-way street that helps no one. Of course, take care of you — people who will boost your connection health factor are those who treat you well — but you also have to be willing to invest yourself in that conversation, care about what another person needs/wants and be willing to make the relationship one that works for you both.

P.S. Yes, good, supportive connections will boost your health and maybe even make up for other health things you are skipping, but, no, this does not mean you get to take up smoking cigars! 😉