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BITESIZE | Why Friendships, Community and Compassion Matter for Our Health | Dr Julian Abel #174

Apr 15, 2021 12m 9s 12 insights
Compassion, friendships and strong community connections don’t just make us feel good, they can have powerful effects on our health and longevity. Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my new weekly podcast for your mind, body and heart. Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests. Today’s clip is from episode 138 of the podcast with Dr Julian Abel - a recently retired consultant in palliative care. Julian is joint leader of a project which aimed to end loneliness and improve health in the town of Frome in Somerset. In this episode, he describes the incredible results and explains why social relationships, compassion and a sense of community are so important for our quality of life, our health and wellbeing. If we choose to be compassionate, not only is it good for us, but it’s also good for everyone around us. Compassion is more powerful than many of the medicines we have, so let’s help it spread. Show notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/138 Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk
Actionable Insights

1. Cultivate Close Social Connections

Actively build and maintain close social connections, as this can reduce pain and anxiety, improve mobility, increase joy, and positively alter your biochemistry by producing beneficial hormones like oxytocin and endorphins.

2. Prioritize Connection Over Acquisition

Challenge the societal belief that happiness comes from acquiring more goods and instead prioritize human connection and community, as this aligns with our natural evolution and leads to greater well-being.

3. Foster Community Relationships

Engage with your community to build relationships and recognize the strengths in everyone, as this creates a warm, supportive environment that can solve shared problems and lead to transformation.

4. Engage with Neighbors

Create compassionate neighborhoods by actively checking on your neighbors and seeking out shared interests, as this helps bring people together and build a stronger community.

5. Connect with Community Resources

If feeling lonely or isolated, especially during illness, connect with community resources like talking cafes, knitting groups, art groups, or healthy walking groups, as this can transform life, regain happiness, and improve health.

6. Seek Health Connector Support

If you are struggling with illness or isolation, ask your doctor or medical center about seeing a “health connector” to help you connect with community support and resources.

7. Daily Gut Health Supplement

Consider taking AG1 daily to support digestion, enrich your gut microbiome with beneficial bacteria, and provide plant-based food sources for those bacteria.

8. Observe Compassion in Media

Consciously observe the presence or absence of compassion in social media, general media, politics, business, and environmental discussions to better understand the world around you and identify areas needing more compassion.

9. Subscribe to Friday Five Email

Sign up for the “Friday Five” email at drchatterjee.com/FridayFive to receive weekly doses of positivity, including articles, books, quotes, and research not shared on social media.

10. Listen to Full Conversations

If you enjoy a bite-sized clip, go back and listen to the full-length conversation with the guest for more in-depth content and insights.

11. Share Podcast Episodes

Spread positivity and valuable insights by sharing podcast episodes with your friends and family.

12. Subscribe to Podcast

Subscribe to the podcast to ensure you receive new long-form conversations on Wednesdays and the latest Bite Size episodes on Fridays.