The power of connection
Being a friend isn’t just about what you get, it’s also about what you give.
This saying is not just an empty platitude. A growing body of scientific evidence points to the life-changing – even life-extending – power of social connections.
The quality of our friendships is a significant predictor of our wellbeing. In fact, the positive effect of social connection is, on average, up to three times as impactful on levels of wellbeing than the negative effect of loneliness.
And the effects of this social behaviour aren’t just felt when we connect with people we know.
Engaging in altruistic actions like donating to charity can promote happiness. The ‘warm glow’ that we feel when we help may also be self-sustaining, such that it is slower to fade than the short-lived rush we feel from helping ourselves.
Happily, recent data reported in the World Happiness Report shows that the prevalence of benevolent acts has been increasing and is significantly above pre-pandemic levels.
What’s more, even brief interactions with so-called ‘weak-ties’ – like the neighbour we see walking their dog, or our regular barista – have also been shown to boost our happiness.
And if chatting with a ‘weak tie’ seems like a hard place to start, consider reaching out to an old friend you care about but have not spoken with in some time. Your first reaction may be reluctance, but recent studies suggest that both you and your friend will be glad you did.
Prof Lara Aknin
Editor, World Happiness Report
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Watch and listen
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This revealing and often vulnerable conversation between Profs Laurie Santos and Tamar Gendler on friendship is a must-listen episode from the latest season of The Happiness Lab.
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Action for Happiness recently featured Chris Anderson, Head of TED Conferences, to discuss the infectious nature of kindness and generosity.