We are entering the holiday season and the end of 2025. For many of us, this is a time to be with family and friends we may have not seen in a while, and a time to reflect on how thankful we are for all of the blessings of the past year. I wanted to share the latest evidence published this year surrounding the importance of both gratitude and social connection to our well-being.
Impact on health and quality of life
Research has shown that having a practice of gratitude and good social connections positively impacts us physically, mentally, and emotionally by:
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Reducing inflammation
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Improving mental health
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Lowering levels of depression
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Improving relationships
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Reducing stress
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Reducing the risk of disease such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes
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Improving brain health
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Reducing the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
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Improving quality of life
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Reducing the risk of mortality by at least 4%
Gratitude and Our Health
The Journal of Positive Psychology published a study in May to add to the growing body of evidence that gratitude is linked to our well-being and is associated with greater happiness. Gratitude has been repeatedly associated with increased life satisfaction and positive emotions.
Strategies to improve a practice of gratitude
While research has shown that practicing gratitude regularly (such as 15 minutes a day for at least 5 days a week) brings the greatest health benefits, just building in a little bit of time each day or week can still be beneficial. The good news is that gratitude is like a muscle that you can build, and it is something that anyone can do! Here are some action items to consider:
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Make a daily or weekly list of things for which you are grateful
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Express gratitude in person or write/text notes of gratitude to a specific person
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Actively look for the positive in the situation
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Share gratitude with family at dinner
Social Connection and Our Health
As humans, we are born to be social. Our brains are actually wired to connect with others. The World Health Organization (WHO) Commission on Social Connection released a 236-page global report in June about social connection and improved health and decreased risk of early death. The statistics were eye-opening about loneliness and the profound impact it has, reporting that loneliness is linked to an estimated 100 deaths every hour (about 871,000 deaths annually), and that 1 in 6 people is affected by loneliness. Low social interaction has been found to be similar to smoking 15 cigarettes a day, and to be twice as harmful as obesity! For the purposes of the report, loneliness is defined as “the painful feeling that arises from a gap between desired and actual social connections.” As connected as teens may seem to be, they had the highest rates of loneliness (20.9% among 13-17 year olds), while those aged >60 years old had the lowest rates (11.8%).
A Harvard Study of Adult Development was a 75-year study that followed the lives of 724 men, leading to the conclusion that the BEST predictor of who would grow into a happy, healthy 80+ year old person was not their cholesterol level or blood pressure, but how satisfied they were in their relationships and having strong social connections.
Strategies to strengthen social connections
Social connections can often fall by the wayside as we go about our busy lives. It is important to prioritize our relationships and grow our social connectedness. And remember, human connection beats technology every time! Here are some ideas:
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Develop social skills to build confidence about making friends
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Join a hobby group or try a new hobby
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Plan group activities with friends, like a monthly game night
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Volunteer for a cause that is important to you
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Participate in a community service activity
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Perform random acts of kindness
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Consider adopting a pet. While there may not be as much research in this area when it comes to social connectedness, we do know that pets can foster a sense of unconditional connection and companionship, and that pet owners often report feeling less lonely than those without pets.
Opportunities for Gratitude and Social Connection in our Hometown
One of the recommendations in the WHO report for community leaders is to help strengthen the social infrastructure to optimize connection. Here in Hamilton, we are fortunate to have:
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17Strong
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Neighborhood meetings
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Walking Wednesdays
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Our beautiful parks
We can also be grateful for those things as well as for our community events, restaurants, small businesses, library, art, history, sculpture, and so much more.
I would like to end with a quote from the WHO Commission on Social Connection: “Alongside rigorous data and public health recommendations, we are also motivated by something profoundly simple: the knowledge that a smile, a kind word or meaningful conversation can make life better. These small acts of connection are powerful tools – not just for individuals but for improving our societies.”
The majority of information in this article came from the below references.
For more information and for the complete report from the WHO Commission on Social Connection, check out: https://www.who.int/groups/commission-on-social-connection/report
From loneliness to social connection - charting a path to healthier societies: report of the WHO Commission on Social Connection. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2025. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
Disclaimer for this article: This translation was not created by the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO is not responsible for the content or accuracy of this translation. The original English edition shall be the binding and authentic edition.
Dang, A. V., Coles, N. A., Oishi, S., & McCullough, M. E. (2025). The efficacy of seven gratitude interventions for promoting subjective well-being. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2025.2502483