Harvard's key to living longer, Malaysians must follow #BackInTime

M.Krishnamoorthy

A media coach, adjunct professor and author

#BackinTime According to a Harvard study, relationships are essential to health and happiness, and close relationships and social connections are crucial for our well-being as we age.

Having supportive and nurturing relationships from the good old days is a buffer against life's stresses and protects overall health.

An 80-year Harvard Study of Adult Development by Dr Robert Waldinger, on good relationships “keep us healthier and happier. People with more robust social connections showed lower rates of diabetes, arthritis, cognitive decline, and other chronic conditions.”

Dr. Waldinger is a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the author of the important new book “The Good Life.”

The researchers hypothesise that close relationships act as "stress regulators"—they help our bodies calm down and return to equilibrium after being revved by challenging events.

Recalling the #Backin Time, the good old days of studying and working together, builds better relationships and friendships, the Harvard survey revealed.

A Malaysian lawyer and regular convenor of a Sunday breakfast group, Kandiah Chelliah, among friends in Kuala Lumpur, said the regular fellowship, sometimes even on weekdays, makes everyone happy because they can converse freely on any subject.

“In our get-togethers, the group of about 15, mostly elderly retired, actively cultivated relationships over their lifetimes and reaped rewards. But they didn’t just let things happen. They made plans with friends, reached out to people, and joined community and social groups,” he said.

Another group of LLN/TNB retirees I join in a monthly organised dinner by Albert Rajaratnam in Petaling Jaya is a gathering to catch up on the good old days, chat about friendships and help each other.

Dr G. Raju, a former nuclear scientist, said good relationships among the LLN/TNB retirees reflected the inter-generational solidarity between the young and older people to interact for mutual benefits on many levels and dimensions.

“Health benefits for senior citizens are immense because of

Greater personal fulfilment and cross-age experience sharing, including solutions to various social challenges encountered in all phases of life, are discussed with no holds barred. We, the LLN/TNB retirees, enjoy sharing our wide experience on many fronts during the LLN retirees' monthly self-sponsored dinner at the OK Restaurant in PJ. We hope many more retirees, including the current TNB employees of both genders, will join us to benefit from the exchange of knowledge, enjoy the fun and laughter throughout the 2-hour dinner, and premise an effective solidarity.”

Raju added: “We don't just let friendships happen; we are also proactive in sharing community problems, but we also take action by helping anyone who needs assistance in resolving problems.”

"The people who were most successful at this didn’t just leave it to chance," Dr. Waldinger observed. He noted that they intentionally nurtured their in-person social connections. “More than 40 per cent of adults say they feel lonely some or all of the time.”

ends

Freelance Writer M. Krishnamoorthy (www.imkrishna.net) is a media coach, adjunct professor and undercover journalist. He has freelanced with Bernama, NST, The Star, and Malaysiakini. He also freelances as a fixer/coordinator for CNN, BBC, German and Australian television networks and the New York Times. As an undercover journalist, he has highlighted society's concerns.

Submit your #BackInTime stories that revolve around the theme of nostalgia and stand a chance to win prizes worth up to RM8,000! Find out how you can participate here.

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