Perhaps it's true: People who need people may indeed be the luckiest people in the world. Those who have strong social ties with friends, family members, neighbors and co-workers enjoy longer, more satisfying, more active lives than those who are socially and emotionally isolated. Research studies have confirmed key facts about social relations: (1)
Isolation breeds poor health. In one study, for example, women who didn't have many opportunities for social contact were found to have higher blood pressure than those who did. Another study revealed that those who had fewer and weaker relationships had two to four times the risk of dying prematurely, regardless of age and other factors. (2)
Social support improves both physical and mental health. For example, a 1999 study conducted at the University of Utah found that older people who have a strong circle of friends have a lower risk of heart disease than those who don't. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that people with six or more different types of relationships, including marriage, work colleagues, friendships and family relationships, were 25 percent less likely to catch a cold than those with fewer social ties. According to a report in the Annals of Internal Medicine, strong social contacts offer powerful protection against the mental declines that often go along with aging. (3)
Support can even help you heal. Women with metastatic breast cancer who were part of a weekly support group lived 18 months longer than those who weren't. And people with strong social support have demonstrated less need for pain medications and faster recovery from illness. (4)
People with strong social support are more likely to follow medical advice and take good care of themselves. For example, Cornell researchers found that women who were socially connected were more likely to eat lower-fat diets than those who were more isolated. (5)

Making People a Priority
Here are a few of the many ways you can maintain and strengthen established friendships and make new ones, whether you're recently retired, the shyest person on the block, widowed, or simply at a loss for how to meet new people: (6)
Initiate casual interactions. Chat with the clerk when you buy your newspaper, share a joke with the attendant who pumps your gas, or talk to a neighbor you've never spoken to. These interactions help sustain a sense of community. (7)
Reawaken dormant relationships. Catch up with the cousin you haven't talked with in years. Reconcile with long-lost friends. Spend time alone with your brother or sister. These people not only hold your history and link you to your own past, but nourishing these relationships offers opportunities for personal growth. (8)
Don't forget to write, phone, or email. When friends and family move away, stay in touch. The phone and email are the fastest ways to connect, though face-to-face contact is still the best. (9)
Leave home. Maybe you're more comfortable avoiding social situations, but people stop growing when they stop venturing into the unfamiliar. Play cards or golf, take cooking classes, attend religious services, volunteer in a literacy program, or join a gym, investment club, or reading group. (10)