Notes on: Social Fitness Exercises

'Social Fitness Exercises' is taken from the course, 'Managing Happiness,' by Arthur Brooks on edX.org.

Combating Loneliness

In their article, 'The Social Muscle', researchers John and Stephanie Cacioppo argue that loneliness can be combated through regular social fitness exercises.

Through a five-year research study on loneliness within the US Army they developed a training program to improve social fitness among soldiers. This training program consisted of a variety of both easy and difficult tasks that helped the soldiers not only combat their own feeling of loneliness and isolation, but also help others as well.

The five key strategies for improving social fitness

1. Unplug. Put away screens and make a real connection with people, even if it's short. Screens can easily become a distraction that hinders real face time and consciously choosing to be social can build the muscle for when you really need it.

2. Do small favours. Do something helpful or nice for others. Gratitude is powerful, and some will repay your kindness, giving you a direct benefit in the future, but also spreading to others as well.

3. Work together. Find opportunities each day to work together. One parents doing dishes and the other doing laundry may be more efficient and save time, but doing the task together gives you the opportunity to reconnect. Whatever efficiency is lost will be repaid through feeling better and less isolated. The same theory can apply at work, and finding opportunities for collaboration not only lessens the monotony of the day-to-day job, but also can lead to new insights.

4. Reach out. Engage with different people on different levels and on a different topics. In conversation, we tend to focus on what we have in common, but the quality of our decision making and the resilience of the group benefit from the diversity of the members. Force yourself and others to share ideas and opinions that come from a place of difference, not commonality.

5. Just say hello. Just say “hello” to a friend, a stranger, or someone with whom you would like to reconnect.

Even simple actions can stretch the social muscle. These tasks are widely applicable and can help reduce feelings of loneliness not just at an individual level, but across groups as well.