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Simply Thriving — The Art and Science of Making New Friends as We Age
As I continue my quest for healthy longevity, it’s hard/impossible to ignore the evidence showing the importance of deep friendships and social interaction.
What we know — being socially active and having friendships keeps our minds sharp and helps ward off depression, a condition we are more likely to experience as we age.
For men in particular, it can be challenging to maintain an active social life as we age. Generalizing, men tend to have their friendships around work and sports. Once they retire and move past team sports, it can be tougher for them to stay connected with others.
I don’t want to be a downer, sharing stories of lonely, desperate men, but there are many.
Intsead, I want to share some stories from which we can draw insiration.
My brother: He had been a competitive hockey player and was great buddies with all his hockey friends. But as he aged, he did what many competitive athletes do. He stopped playing hockey and spent more time on the couch watching the game. And as also often happens to old hockey players, he got fat.
But to his credit, he didn’t let this get him down. Staying social and connected always remained important to him. So, at 50-something years old, he still does two…
