During retirement, it’s easily to become isolated. You don’t have the structure of a job and as many reasons for leaving the house. In fact, a recent University of North Carolina study found that 43 percent of seniors surveyed felt lonely. That is not good for your health. When you feel lonely and isolated, you are more likely to become depressed and experience chronic health problems. That can lead to the inability to age in place and having to live in a nursing home.
A great way to feel less isolated is by reconnecting with people. You can reach out to old co-workers, classmates and others and develop new social avenues. It’s a great way to be able to get out of the house and engage in social situations. Here are a few tips on how to reconnect with people:
Keep it Simple
When trying to reconnect with someone, you want to keep it simple. You don’t want to overwhelm the person. When you reach out, you want to make them feel comfortable. You don’t want to dwell on problems that you and the other person may have had in the past. Instead, you want to engage them on a level that is easy and non-threatening. The goal is to be social and not make thing overly complicated.
Be Honest
You need to be honest about your motivation. If you’re struggling to find quality human interactions, let the person know. You don’t want to pretend that everything is perfect. You want to be upfront about your current status and the reasons you are reaching out. If it was that you were thinking about them the other day, then say that. It doesn’t have to be complicated, but the initial conversation needs to be genuine.
Make Actual Plans
Once you have connected with a person, you want to make actual plans. If you don’t make plans, you will miss out on the benefits of face-to-face interactions. If they live close, that might mean dinner or a cup of coffee. On the other hand, if the person lives out of the area, you could set a time for a video call or book a plane flight. You have to make the initiative to build the connection. It will not happen without some effort.
Be Patient
A solid relationship doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time for a friendship to grow. You have to be patient and give it time to develop. It’s like a flower. You plant the seed. Then you water it and sun beams down on it. Over time, the flower grows and blooms. A relationship is no different.
Use Social Media
Have you lost the contact information for an old friend or relative? Social media can be a great way to track them down. There are a variety of ways to search for a friend on social media. You can reach the person by using his or her name and location. You can also try through mutual connections. And reaching out on social media is really easy. You just send a message through the messaging system within the social media platform.
Find Lost Relatives on Ancestry.com
Another great way to connect with people is through ancestry.com. You might have cousins or aunts and uncles that you have never meet, and ancestry.com contains a wealth of information about your family history. Once you create a profile, you create a family tree. The system helps you locate relatives within your family tree who are also on ancestry.com. You can connect with them through the system. It’s a great way to grow your social connections within your family. And usually, other people on ancestry.com are looking to meet other relatives as well.