Thread by @thesundaytimes

Medical researchers have been surprised by how dramatic the effect of friendship really is — not just for our happiness but also for our health, wellbeing and even how long we live. We do not cope well with isolation thetimes.co.uk/article/robin-…

Loneliness is turning out to be the modern killer disease, rapidly replacing all the more usual candidates as the commonest underlying factor behind death

thetimes.co.uk/article/robin-…

Laughter, singing, dancing, the casual hug or stroke of an arm — all of these things trigger endorphins. Endorphins are chemically similar to morphine and have similar effects. They lighten our mood and make us feel good

thetimes.co.uk/article/robin-…

A psychology professor examined 148 studies on factors that influenced people’s risk of dying. The big surprise was that it was the social measures that most influenced chances of surviving, by as much as 50%. Only giving up smoking has anything like the same effect

"The risk to our relationships in this pandemic is obvious. You don’t see your friends with the regularity that you used to, so the quality of these friendships will begin to fade slowly. That will inevitably impact on your physical and mental health and wellbeing."

"Today, the question is: can digital social interaction ever offer a meaningful substitute to real-life contact? Will the online world become the new norm of the future — both in the social world and the world of work?"

thetimes.co.uk/article/robin-…