Boost Your Well-Being with Social Connection Now

(playful effects) (gentle music) Headspace Studios. (gentle music) welcome back to "Radio Headspace." It's Dora here. Have you ever had someone tell you to not follow the crowd? When I was growing up, this was something my mom would often caringly say before hanging out with my friends. Rightfully so. A bunch of teenagers together is bound to be trouble in some way. But as I recently learned, being in a crowd or a group of people can actually be a source of health and connection. Studies have found that as human beings, one way to increase our longevity is through social connection. In fact, our relationships are an important aspect of determining the qualities of our lives as we age. There's an interesting phenomenon that I stumbled upon that can occur while in a large group of people. It's called Collective Effervescence, coined by Emily Durkheim. Maybe you felt it or experienced it before. It's this feeling of energy, excitement, and harmony when people are engaged in a shared purpose. One study found that when a group of students in a dance class had synchronized dance moves, this synced and shared group activity increased levels of compassion. Or did you know when musicians sway their bodies together in unison when performing, they have a higher quality performance? So there's something to be said about being in community with others, engaged in an activity that harmonizes and connects us. Whether it's being at a live show, singing along with a crowd full of strangers, being in on the latest joke on the internet, or watching a basketball game that's close in score, when we merge with the flow of the group, an incredible energy is generated when we all come together. In those collective moments, we tap into a greater sense of joy, awe, and connection. It's such a beautiful thing to be a part of. I experienced this phenomenon firsthand after joining a run club and training for my first marathon last year. Now, no one prepares you for how grueling and intense marathon training can be. If I had trained by myself, I would've given up after week three. And as I reflect on the experience I had, it was definitely my community that allowed me to continue to show up three times a week and push myself beyond my comfort zone. I'll never forget the time we had our longest run yet to the training season on a trail that had a steady incline, which was also in the boiling sun. There was about 50 of us on the run together, and at one point, I was extremely fatigued and exhausted. I had one mile left and I wanted to give up. The mental battle I was experiencing was intense. For the last three miles, I had been running alone, and I finally caught up to a few other runners. Maybe it was the fact that we were all running together, that I felt a sense of accountability, or...