“I felt like I was about to pass out” – that is what Simone Biles said before participating in her first event in the Tokyo Olympics. The most decorated US gymnast in history struggled with mental health issues at age 25, and she told it to the entire world.
Biles was not the first famous person to confess mental health issues and not the last. It has become much more common for younger people to tell surveyors about such struggles, and talk about it. Not only Gen-Z Americans are becoming more open about pressure, but also people in other countries and of different ages.
What about social health? The pandemic undoubtedly caused isolation and loneliness. Doctors wanted people to refrain from spreading the disease to each other, and used the term “social distancing.” This was later criticized by some, who saw it as a call for isolation from one another, while technology could keep us both safe and connected. Perhaps “physical distancing” would have been a better term.
While covid is seemingly confined to the past, awareness to mental health remains prevalent – and social health may come to the fore. Touch Base will certainly do its best to shed light on the topic.
According to Google Trends, searches for social health are at their highest in the past year, but have not broken to higher ground.
Having meaningful relationships is critical to physical health later in life. This is a well-demonstrated point made by a multi-decade Harvard study. In my work on Touch Base I have run into this research over and over – making it one of the top encouraging me to pursue this venture.
Here is the TED talk explaining the study:
The repeated mentions of this study show there is a growing awareness of social health and its importance. I will circle back to it – and also provide additional insights – about the importance of social health.