Prioritizing these three things will improve your life and maybe even save it

[yallerdawg]

Source: Washington Post, by Colby Itkowitz

• Face-to-face social interaction leads to a longer life

Smoking, drinking, exercise and even heart problems are not predictors of a person’s longevity — a person’s close relationships and social integration were. That’s what psychologist Susan Pinker has discovered in researching the impact that our human connections have on all aspects of our well-being, including our physical health. Those with intimacy in their lives, those with support systems and frequent face-to-face interactions were not only physically and emotionally healthier, but they also lived longer.

It’s why women, who tend to prioritize spending time with their friends more than men,  live an average of six years longer, Pinker said. And it’s not enough to text or email. The actual health benefits of socializing are only achieved through in-person contact, she said.

• Knowing when to turn off your smartphone enriches your life

Adam Alter has studied the impact all that screen time is having on our lives. People who spend time on social networks, dating apps and even online news sites reported being less happy. But the technology has taken away what Alter calls our “stopping cues.” Most things we do for pleasure, like reading a book or watching a movie, have an end. But scrolling on the phone is endless and we don’t know when to break away.

• Chasing meaning, not happiness, is what really matters

The quest for happiness doesn’t make us happy. In fact, Emily Esfahani Smith realized, constantly evaluating our own happiness is actually contributing to feelings of hopelessness and depression. Happiness is a fickle emotion, fleeting, based on a moment or an experience. What’s really making us feel sad is not a lack of happiness, it’s lack of meaning, she said.

Read it at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2017/04/28/prioritizing-these-three-things-will-improve-your-life-and-maybe-even-save-it/?utm_term=.a89504134a30&wpisrc=nl_most-draw14&wpmm=1

[Adsos Letter]

1. In addition (and in support)...

I think this was posted as an OP here recently, but it makes a good addition to your article. Alienation and addiction:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/johann-hari/the-real-cause-of-addicti_b_6506936.html?ncid=engmodushpmg00000003

[yallerdawg]

2. "So the opposite of addiction is not sobriety. It is human connection."

[lindysalsagal]

3. I agree with meaning over happiness; Happiness is, what, being stoned? Escapism?

I'd rather feel like my interactions mean something real and significant.