The Holidays and Social Connections

The Holidays and Social Connections

            Now that we are into December and the holidays are upon us, this is a perfect time to reconnect with friends and family. Loneliness and isolation can have negative affects on mental health. Research suggests that both can be linked to depression, anxiety, insomnia, etc. This holiday season, try to make it a priority to connect with the loved ones in your life. Also, consider connecting with someone who you know may be alone over the holidays.

I encourage you to consider starting a new holiday tradition this season. You could have a family karaoke night, or a board game night (for anyone who knows me, they know I’m huge into board games), a gingerbread house competition, or anything else that you can think of that promotes a social connection. I have purposely mentioned activities that do not involve screens. Research tells us that screen activities are linked to less happiness and non-screen activities are linked to more happiness. I encourage you to think about your social connections this season and try to make them meaningful.

Happy holidays!

References

Lynn Lyons. (2019, December 30). Can Mr. Rogers Save Us All? Creating More Family Connection and Joy,

a lecture by Lynn Lyons, LICSW. [Video]. YouTube.            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fynzVQKHz7o

Research, B. C. F. T. (2024, November 26). Evidence shows that social connection is essential to physical

and mental health. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/evidence-based-living/202411/use-the-holidays-to-promote-social-connection?amp

Written by: Jenn Yim-Rodier, Clinical Counsellor with Wildflowers