Talking more, living longer?

More than ever we are living solitary lives, with the effects of social isolation affecting a third of people in the west, and it could be affecting our longevity.

Way before social distancing in 2020 had us closing our doors and covering our faces, one of the most overwhelming social conditions of our time had already taken hold.

Social isolation affects a third of the population in the west where, on average, people believe they would have fewer than two people to lean on if something went wrong.

More than ever, we are living solitary lives and it could be affecting our longevity.

Surprisingly, the reasons given for the fact women live 6-8 years longer than men, on average, has nothing to do with the amount of exercise they do or even their diet.

It’s because women nurture their relationships more than men, through regular connection, talking and listening.

Does that check out with the people in your life? Perhaps we all know folks who come alive when they communicate and others who firmly prefer to listen. The physiological and emotional benefits of talking, however, are firmly stacked in the favour of the communicators.

At Wangie, the app for talking, we look with fascination to the cultures who keep closely connected to their extended families, where small children happily run into the arms of octogenarians who always seem to be in the frame, and we wonder what can we learn?

The benefits of community, however it presents itself are clear and not restricted to nurturing their relationships in person. Any talking, it turns out, is good. It creates a dopamine hit in our bodies, reduces the production of cortisol, the stress hormone and even boosts our immune system.

And a ray of hope for people who are physically isolated, is that these physiological and emotional benefits can also be achieved through talking in the digital space.

A place where there’s always someone to talk to is Wangie, it’s free to download, anonymous, judgement-free and there’re even Mentors present to listen and support the conversation. It’s good for people who want the feel-good factors of talking, without the personal profile and pictures.

The more we nurture our relationships, the more we nurture our own feelings of connection: being heard, being inspired, offering and seeking a new perspective, and truly listening.

Why not say hi on Wangie and see what happens?