I finished The Good Life, and as an introvert I was left thinking well shit I need to call my friends and family more often. Apparently social fitness, meaning your relationship and the time you spend and interact with others, has stark effects on your physical health, and is the #1 indicator of happiness.
The book is rich with studies like the fact that family dinners can result in higher self esteem in kids, that loneliness increases the risk of death as much as smoking or obesity, that cancer patients who had a strong group of friends were 22% less likely to die that those who didn't, or that stronger social connections decrease the risk of dying from all causes by almost one fourth.
The thing that truly resonated with me was the conversation around how we shape our priorities, and how it's often based on the amount of time we think we have left on this Earth. (I am so guilty of this) I'll leave you with this powerful exercise they shared that truly hit me like a ton of bricks:
"Imagine you began your life with all the money you'll ever have. The instant you were born you were given one account and anytime you had to pay for something it's come out of that account. You don't need to work, but everything you do costs money. Food, water, housing and consumer goods are expensive as ever, but now even sending an email requires some of your precious funds. Sitting quietly in a chair doing nothing costs money, sleep costs money, everything you encounter requires you to spend money. But the problem is this, you don't know how much money is in the account and when it runs dry, your life is over. If you found yourself in this circumstance, would you live in the same way?"
