Honestly, this is one of the trickiest things really – increasingly we are realising the importance of social connections – having strong relationships with people both at work and at home is a bigger indicator of overall health than any other factor

In fact, social connection can lower anxiety and depression, help us regulate our emotions, lead to higher self-esteem and empathy, and actually improve our immune systems. Studies show that the positive influence of social relationships on the risk of death are comparable with well-established risk factors for mortality such as smoking or alcohol consumption and exceed the influence of other risk factors,such as physical inactivity and even obesity (Holt-Lunstad, Smith, & Layton, 2010)

So, if we put as much effort into building strong connections with people as the effort we put into our diet and exercise (the gyms, the equipment, the outfits, the diets, the vitamin supplements, the list goes on …) we may actually live longer. How sh...