Keeping up with friendships and social connections — and making new ones — is important to your quality of life and overall well-being. Although social networks often get smaller as people age, having a close friend or family member who you can easily talk with can help you to feel cared for and valued. Social support can protect you from isolation, loneliness, and depression.
Participating in social or productive activities that you enjoy may also help maintain your well-being. For instance, older adults who participate in activities they find meaningful, like volunteering, report feeling healthier and happier. Group physical activity, such as a dance class or walking group, can foster social relationships. Physical activity also boosts your physical and mental health. Learn more about staying physically active in later life in our
staying active section.
Senior centers, community recreation centers, and places of worship are places to look for social groups or ways to get involved. The National Institute on Aging provides these examples of social and productive activities that you may like:
Volunteering at a library, hospital, school, or other organization
Joining a senior center
Playing cards and other games with your friends
Going to the theater, a movie, or a sporting event
Traveling with a group of older adults, perhaps a retiree group
Visiting friends and family
Gardening in your backyard or at a community park
Organizing a park clean-up through your local recreation center
Taking a cooking class
Singing in a choral group
Joining a local theater troupe
Forming or joining a book club
Going dancing
Taking a group exercise class
Playing a musical instrument, learning a new instrument
Joining a group interested in a hobby like knitting or scrapbooking
Getting a part-time job
More resources on healthy aging and mental health