So much of modern wellness is built for one. Track your steps. Log your meals. Push through on willpower. Fix yourself, by yourself, and do it quietly.

But think about the last time a healthy habit actually stuck for you. Was there a friend who met you for that morning walk? A partner who started cooking with you? A group chat that cheered you on?

For a lot of us, the turning point wasn't a new app or a better plan. It was other people.
That's not a coincidence. A growing body of research shows that social connection is one of the most powerful (and most overlooked) influences on our health.

Social Connection Isn't Just a Nice-to-Have

One of the most cited studies on this topic is a large meta-analysis that pulled together data from 148 studies and more than 300,000 people. Researchers found that people with stronger social relationships had a 50% greater likelihood of survival over the study periods compared with those with weaker ties. The effect held across age, sex, and initial health status, and was comparable to well-known risk factors like smoking and alcohol use (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2010).

More recently, the World Health Organization's Commission on Social Connection reported that about one in six people worldwide is affected by loneliness, which is linked to an estimated 871,000 deaths every year, or roughly 100 deaths every hour (World Health Organization, 2025).

Those numbers are sobering. But there's a hopeful flip side: if disconnection can harm our health, connection can help protect it.

Why Healthy Habits Stick Better with More People

Community doesn't just support how long we live. It shapes how we live day to day, including whether new habits last.

In a classic study on weight management, researchers recruited some participants on their own and others alongside three friends or family members. Some groups also received extra social support strategies. Among those who joined alone with standard support, 76% completed the program and 24% fully maintained their results months later. Among those who joined with friends and got added social support, 95% completed the program and 66% fully maintained their results (Wing & Jeffery, 1999).

That's a huge difference, and it isn't really about weight. It's about what happens when we stop going it alone:

• Accountability: it's harder to skip the walk when someone is waiting for you
• Modeling: we naturally pick up the habits of the people we spend time with
• Encouragement: someone else noticing your progress makes it feel real
• Belonging: feeling part of something gives the work meaning beyond the outcome

Relationships Are Nourishment, Too

At IIN, we talk about primary food: the parts of life that feed us beyond the plate, including our relationships, physical activity, career, and spirituality. When primary food is out of balance, no amount of kale can fully make up for it.

Relationships may be the most important primary food of all. Feeling seen and supported affects how we handle stress, how we sleep, and how we care for ourselves. If you're curious about how your thoughts, emotions, and body work together, our article on the mind-body connection is a great place to start. And if you've been doing "all the right things" but still feel off, read You're Doing Everything Right, So Why Don't You Feel Better?

Where Health Coaching Fits In

This is one reason health coaching works. A health coach is more than a source of information. They're a partner who listens, reflects, celebrates small wins, and helps clients stay accountable to the goals that matter to them.

Many coaches also build community into their practice through group programs, workshops, and online circles. When clients connect with others on a similar path, the support multiplies.

5 Simple Ways to Build a Healthier Circle

You don't need to overhaul your social life to feel the benefits. Start small:

1. Turn a solo habit into a shared one. Invite a friend, coworker, or neighbor on your next walk.
   
   
2. Join something that meets regularly. A class, a run club, a cooking group, or even a dance session. Not sure where to start? Check out these conscious dance styles for a joyful way to move with others.
   
   
3. Share more meals. Eating together is one of the oldest forms of community there is.
   
   
4. Put connection on your calendar. Schedule a weekly call with someone you miss, the same way you'd schedule a workout.
   
   
5. Find your people online. Virtual communities can be powerful, especially when they meet live. Experience IIN offers live virtual wellness sessions and a community of people who care about the same things you do.

Ready to help others build healthier, more connected lives?

In The Health Coach Training Program^™, you'll learn how to support clients as a whole person, including the relationships that nourish them, and join a global community of coaches who are changing how the world thinks about health.

Sources

Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., & Layton, J. B. (2010). Social relationships and mortality risk: A meta-analytic review. PLOS Medicine, 7(7), Article e1000316. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000316

Wing, R. R., & Jeffery, R. W. (1999). Benefits of recruiting participants with friends and increasing social support for weight loss and maintenance. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 67(1), 132–138. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.67.1.132

World Health Organization. (2025, June 30). Social connection linked to improved health and reduced risk of early death [News release]. https://www.who.int/news/item/30-06-2025-social-connection-linked-to-improved-heath-and-reduced-risk-of-early-death