Actually, you can’t afford not to make time for it. Friendship, laughter, and social connection are what makes life worth living, and these things are key to keeping us healthier, too. Our emotional health takes a nose dive the when we allow our social circles to shrink and spend our free time focusing on screens.

The American Medical Association outlined loneliness as a public health issue and the National Institutes of Health asserts that, “Social connection is a pillar of lifestyle medicine. Humans are wired to connect, and this connection affects our health.”

All the good things — less stress, healthier weight, better moods, and lower risks of heart disease — are direct benefits of having emotional support and connection with others. As Atul Gawande wrote in The New Yorker, “Human beings are social creatures. Simply to exist as a human requires interaction with other people.”

So how do we get out there and interact? Friendships are harder to forge as adults since we no longer have the built-in structure of school, but that doesn’t make it impossible. We just need a bit more intention.

Here are five simple ways to forge friendships and participate socially in the world around you. If you don’t already know of a group you can join, then gather your courage and be the first to invite a few people over. Remember that this can be simple and doesn’t require matching decorations or elaborate invitations.

ou’ve got the exercise shoes, the diet plan, and the quality sleep routine. But if you’re trying to tackle your whole-body wellness alone, you might be forgetting the critical element of social connection.

Perhaps like Simon & Garfunkel, you’ve given up on friendship and claim, “I am a rock, I am an island!” After all, what more could you possibly cram into your busy schedule after family responsibilities, work stress, and other commitments? Do you really have time for…fun?

Actually, you can’t afford not to make time for it. Friendship, laughter, and social connection are what makes life worth living, and these things are key to keeping us healthier, too. Our emotional health takes a nose dive the when we allow our social circles to shrink and spend our free time focusing on screens.

The American Medical Association outlined loneliness as a public health issue and the National Institutes of Health asserts that, “Social connection is a pillar of lifestyle medicine. Humans are wired to connect, and this connection affects our health.”

All the good things — less stress, healthier weight, better moods, and lower risks of heart disease — are direct benefits of having emotional support and connection with others. As Atul Gawande wrote in The New Yorker, “Human beings are social creatures. Simply to exist as a human requires interaction with other people.”

So how do we get out there and interact? Friendships are harder to forge as adults since we no longer have the built-in structure of school, but that doesn’t make it impossible. We just need a bit more intention.

Here are five simple ways to forge friendships and participate socially in the world around you. If you don’t already know of a group you can join, then gather your courage and be the first to invite a few people over. Remember that this can be simple and doesn’t require matching decorations or elaborate invitations.

Everyone has a closet or a cupboard filled with board games, so take the chance to dust off a few of your favorites and ask several people to join you. Teach them your favorite game, or ask each person to bring one with them. Before you know it, the hours will melt away and you’ll have turned casual acquaintances into quality friends.

Mike Holyoak has been part of a Thursday night game club with friends in town for years. “As an introvert, game night makes it easy to interact with others and have a lot of fun without any pressure, because the game is the center of attention,” he said. “It gives me something to look forward to each week and I get to strengthen friendships while playing innovative and fun games. Game night creates a shared experience that seems harder to find as you move into adulthood.”

Consider starting a book club and inviting a few friends over, or finally accept the invitation to the one you keep ignoring when you haven’t read the book. Go anyway! Another option is to check with the local libraries. Both the Bonneville County Library and the Idaho Falls Public Library have multiple in-person book clubs and they’re free to attend. Winnie and Mo’s bookshop downtown also holds a monthly book club, though reservations are needed.

When Kelli Buck moved to Idaho Falls during the pandemic, she was eager to meet new friends. She introduced herself to neighbors one at a time and after gathering restrictions ended, she organized a book club.

“Conversations are easy to have when you can discuss the themes from a book,” Kelli said. “But then what’s interesting is that everyone opens up and starts to talk about other things—our life experiences or challenges we’re having. I love hearing the perspectives of everyone in book club. It’s been a great way to deepen friendships and have a safe place to share different points of view.”

Inviting a few friends over to solve a puzzle with you is a hassle-free way to spend time with others while working on a fun, cooperative project. All that’s required is a dining table, an engaging puzzle, and a handful of friends. It creates a reason to sit down and socialize without phones or other responsibilities.

Humans naturally love to solve problems, and completing a puzzle gives you a rewarding sense of accomplishment. Puzzle solving is a perfect group activity that thrives on communication and teamwork. It also has the added benefit of requiring enough concentration to shift your focus away from your daily worries for a few hours.

When you’re not just feeling lonely but also can’t find the time for your favorite hobby, a great solution is to throw a Craft Jam. Longtime Idaho Falls resident Skye Larson felt she wasn’t able to spend casual time with friends, but didn’t want the stress of hosting a formal dinner. So she got creative and invited them all to a UFO (UnFinished Objects) Party.

“I told my friends to just come over and bring something to do while we talked. They brought beadwork, knitting, boxes of photos to sort, and even coloring pages. Once, I even had a friend bring a drawer she needed to organize!” Skye laughed.

“It was so fun because we were all in the middle of the busy parenting years, but we had this craft night without the kids where we could be just friends. I found that we had lots of heart-to-heart conversations. It was wonderful,” she said.

Physical activity is high on the list for wellness, but think of the benefits if you add a friend or two. They’ll keep you accountable and give you a chance to socialize all while getting your workout done. You can make it as simple as going for a walk around the block with your next-door neighbor. The side-by-side perspective makes conversations less intense and more comfortable. Plus, it’s a great way to combine time outside with physical activity — all while forging friendships.

We don’t have to give our lives over the loudest voices of technology and the easiest ways to zone out to passive entertainment. With a little intention, we can balance out our solitary pursuits by socializing with real people we know, or would like to know better. Boost your health by creating more social connection in your life. You’ll be glad you did!