I’ve been working remotely since before the pandemic, and I’ll be the first to admit the days can get lonely. So last year, I joined a co-working space part time. The comfy couches and endless supply of tea are nice, but the biggest benefit is social interaction. A group of us have lunch in the café space once or twice a week, and discuss everything from starting a podcast to booking cheap flights. Sometimes, we even come to each other with work problems or take walks around the neighborhood. Not to sound cheesy, but it warms my heart.
Turns out the feeling in my heart is backed up by 85 years of research on health and wellbeing. According to Robert Waldinger, psychiatrist and director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, people who have warm relationships with others are happier, healthier, and live longer. And all kinds of connections have an impact, from intimate partners to coworkers.
Waldinger is co-author of the new book, The Good Life, based on the study, which followed participants from their teen years throughout their lives. He says that even if you work remotely, there are things you can do to foster a sense of connection with your co-workers. For example, send a text or an email or even (gasp!) pick up the phone and call a colleague who you haven’t talked to in a while.
It can be tricky knowing how much to open up about yourself at work, but Waldinger says it helps when the boss sets the tone: "You need leaders to say being personal with each other is valuable,” he says, “it matters, and it starts at the top." Learn how to exercise your social muscles at work.
Tim Betler/UPMC and University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences
Heather Rendulic, age 33, had a series of strokes starting in 2011. With very limited sensation in her left arm and hand, she was unable to complete ordinary tasks like chopping vegetables or tying her shoes.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh knew that in many stroke patients, the brain is still trying to send signals through the spine to the muscles that control the limbs – but those signals are very weak. So they decided to rev those signals up with electric current. With electrodes embedded in her spine, Rendulic attempted to pick up a can of tomato soup. What happened next had Rendulic, her mother and her husband crying tears of joy.
There were over 55 million people in the world living with dementia in 2020, and by 2050, that number will be about 139 million, according to the non-profit Alzheimer's Disease International. Many risk factors can increase dementia risk, including genetic ones. But according to the CDC, up to 40% of dementia cases can be prevented or delayed.
Recent headlines have hit a dire note when it comes to the health risks of drinking. A massive international study published in The Lancet concluded in 2018 that "the safest level of drinking is none." And last month, Canada's newly updated guidelines urged people to restrict themselves to two standard drinks or less each week.
But a new South Korean study of over 4 million people over 40 looked has a more nuanced message about the effects of drinking alcohol on dementia risk. Analysis showed that when heavy drinkers cut back to moderate drinking, they were 8% less likely to develop dementia. Researchers also noted something weird: a slight increase in dementia cases among people who quit drinking altogether. Learn what your drinking habits may say about your dementia risk.
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