Why Social Connection is Essential to Health and How it Can Boost Resident and Tenant Engagement

Social activities have always been a great way for property managers and company managers to unite residents and employees in the workplace and foster a sense of community. Through connections and bonds formed at social gatherings, residents and tenants are able to form positive associations with their environments, and love where they live and work.

Since the global climate has shifted the way we gather, business managers and properties have been forced to draw up more innovative ways to cultivate connectivity and allow an outlet for social engagement. But why exactly is maintaining a social connection so important, and how are we able to understand the imperative role it plays in our mental health and well-being?

Studies that Favor the significance of social connection

Countless studies and journals have proven the significance that social connection has in our lives. In a review of over 300,000 participants across 148 different studies, participants with stronger social relationships were shown to have a 50% greater survival rate and disease recovery to various ailments than those that were not as receptive to social engagement. The study took into account a variety of ages, conditions, demographics, initial health statuses, and causes of death. These findings were also shared with resources supporting a decreased rate in suicide and less likelihood of mental health obstacles, such as anxiety and depression.

Another finding demonstrated that lack of social engagement can be even more harmful to your overall health than obesity, high blood pressure, and even smoking. Experiments conducted on both humans and animals show a linked risk of social isolation to a variety of illnesses and mortality causes. With loneliness. in particular, research has linked health consequences ranging from impaired decision making and cardiovascular function, to poor sleep quality, dementia, and heart disease.

New ways of maintaining a social connection

Virtual events are a great way to keep communities, families, and kids connected and introduce something fresh into a weekly routine. Activities including virtual book clubs, team trivia, mixology nights, virtually hosted mock-tail hours, virtual pup-party gatherings, talent shows, and bingo are just a few virtual event ideas that can spark engagement and keep everyone connected at a time when we need it the most.

If you’re worried about your risk of being an introvert, there’s still a silver lining. Even in isolation, science has shown that social connection from a distance can still boost your health, supporting the fact that even with our current constraints, virtual connection can still provide the same benefit to us all. Data has demonstrated that it’s not even the number of friends you have, but the level of connection you share with one or more individuals that releases the feel-good chemicals in your brain resulting in a heightened state of well-being.

Incorporating virtual social activities into your resident engagement plan

An easily deployable solution for creating connection and promoting connectivity in today’s environment is including virtual events into your engagement strategy. Virtual events allow people to connect safely from the comfort of their living spaces or anywhere they choose and even change the typical social gathering where people naturally segment themselves to one that is more mutual, inclusive, and open. Managers of all types who have invested the energy into providing opportunities for people to connect, have made their residents, tenants, and employees feel more valued. This creates a greater sense of loyalty with the environment in which they are trying to promote and retain.

By creating a welcoming atmosphere, even when virtual, people can still have a chance to enjoy meet & greets with neighbors, and appreciate the feeling of a social atmosphere despite any potential barriers . In the workplace especially, social events have been shown to improve teamwork, foster wellness, promote better working relationships, reduce stress, and increase more efficient output to the organization overall.

As our mission, Circuit strives to create opportunities for people to do what they love, live well, and impact their communities. Virtual amenities are one of several ways we keep our communities engaged and connected while promoting mental health. To start boosting your resident retention plan, head to our contact page to start your including virtual amenities at your community or workplace today!