Your Tribe Is Part of Your Health Plan
Updated: Oct 1
Connection deserves a place in your wellbeing routine.
Blue Zones are regions where people tend to live considerably longer than average. The name came about when researchers Gianni Pes and Michel Poulain drew blue circles around the villages in Sardinia on a map. Dan Buettner (Author, The Blue Zones) then introduced this concept to a wider audience via National Geographic by examining the common features of these communities' daily lives (Okinawa, Sardinia, Ikaria, Nicoya, and Loma Linda regions).
When I think about the Blue Zones and the research around them, I realise that even though we usually plan our exercise, meals, and work, we seldom plan to connect with one another.
We should give the same care and attention to the people nearby as we do to our other wellbeing habits.
The problem
Life tends to become crowded with responsibilities, leaving no room for genuine connection. Although we may stay in contact, respond to posts, and promise to get together, we still often feel as though we are overlooked or not given the support we need.
When it comes to health, relationships are generally not high on the list. However, research indicates that they should be given a more deliberate place.
Here’s what we know
It is important for our health to have a good connection, and numerous studies have found that people who have stronger social relationships tend to have better survival rates.
To be alone does not mean that you are feeling lonely; it's possible for you to enjoy spending time on your own and yet not feel lonely at all. Moreover, you can still feel disconnected even if you are among other people.
The quality of our connections is important, just as much as the frequency with which we see people, because support, trust, and the feeling that you belong matter.
Connections are built up by taking small steps. Good ways to begin are by having regular check-ins, engaging in activities together, and either offering or asking for help.
Research behind it
Social relationships and survival
A review from 2010 examined 148 studies involving more than 300,000 people and discovered that those who had stronger social relationships were more likely to live longer over the course of the study. The fact that this is so indicates that connection is important, even though it does not mean that friendship ensures a longer life.
Happiness and social networks
A 2008 Framingham study followed 4,739 people for 20 years and found that happiness tends to cluster in social networks. This suggests our social circles matter, but it doesn’t mean we always become like those closest to us.
Connection as a public health priority
The World Health Organization’s 2025 report says loneliness and social isolation are major health concerns and encourages action from individuals, communities, and governments.
Ways forward
I suggest starting with something simple you can do regularly:
Notice the places where you feel a sense of connection. Who is someone who listens to you? Who allows you to be yourself? Where do you feel welcomed?
Ask somebody to spend time with you walking, having a coffee, making a phone call, or eating a meal.
Turn it into a habit by arranging your next catch-up before the first one has finished.
Allow room for new connections by joining a local group, volunteering, or engaging in something you already enjoy.
Support should be mutual. You should get in touch, give your attention and let people know when you yourself need support.
If you are often lonely or if this is having an effect on your wellbeing, you should discuss it with a health professional for support.
One thing to reflect on
Are you allocating a regular place in your life to the relationships that matter, or only to the spare time?
This is the point for me: it is necessary to pay attention to feeling a sense of belonging, and that may begin with being the one to reach out first.
Live life, be you!
