Social determinants of health can account for the majority of an individual's health outcomes. Of these, financial security and community support tend to be some of the most important factors. With financial security you’re able to impact educational choices, generally lack food insecurity, stress less about housing costs, and mitigate the number one cause of divorce. Community support/strong social connection can greatly improve your overall state of health and quality of life.
Financial Security
This at the most fundamental level is earning more than you spend. If you are not in this position you can reduce expenses or increase your income. Most of us are not taught personal finance by our parents or in our primary education. As a result we need to take the necessary steps to get a basic financial education. Popular places to start are Dave Ramsey’s materials, Personal Finance for Dummies (Eric Tyson), I Will Teach You to Be Rich (Ramit Sethi), and The Simple Path to Wealth (J.L. Collins). These materials are not just written for people with high incomes and are written for the average American.
Morgan Housel’s work The Psychology of Money and Thomas Stanley’s The Millionaire Next Door may be more important than any of the technical books. These books both address the psychology of personal finance. In the current age of social media, we are under constant pressure to show that we’re doing well through material possessions. Learning to spend on necessities and the things that truly bring you lasting joy are better uses of your funds.
Reading some of these books and focusing on professional development can help lead to a position of personal financial security. Giving yourself the grace of time when it comes to personal finance. Avoid a lottery mindset that financial security is something that needs to be achieved in a short amount of time. Do not fall victim of lifestyle inflation because this can lead to financial trouble making it challenging to reduce your total stress load.
Community Support
Loneliness is another risk factor for mortality. Nearly a quarter of US adults feel lonely. My rule of thumb for patients is to seek to have a minimum of three people in their lives. A mentor, a peer and a student. If you’re blessed with a positive family unit this naturally defaults to your parents, your partner and your children. Many of us have not won the genetic lottery or not in a position in our lives to have this from our own families, so the responsibility of creating this surrogate family unit falls on us the individual. A mentor is any person who provides wisdom or insight. It’s someone that you look up to and try to emulate their positive traits. A peer is generally someone who is at a similar stage of life and walks with you through the challenges that are guaranteed as a part of our existence. A student is our ability to pass on our life lessons with the assumption that we can reduce suffering for future generations.
Investing in other people is how you change the world. Seeking alternative perspectives and approaches can show you that there are better ways to live your life. Having an honest friend that can call you out and provide critical feedback is one of the greatest blessings we can have.
If you’re blessed to have someone in your life that exhibits unconditional love, who truly accepts you for who you are, it can be empowering. The challenge when it comes to relationships is you need to give freely. Taking a transactional approach to other people will not lead to lasting relationships. There are always going to be times when our capacity to give is reduced. Try to avoid attributing malice to other people when it’s more likely they did not understand the consequences of their actions.
Making friends as an adult is not always easy. In my experience the best way to do this is to get involved. Friends generally do not just show up at your house. Volunteering, participating in group activities and sports, or joining an organization are where you will start to meet people. It’s common for many of our patients to not have adult friends for this reason, they never get out of their house. They go to work, come home, don’t date their partners, and disengage and check out the moment they get out the door. The development of meaningful relationships has the same formula for most things that matter in life - a little bit, often, over the long haul.
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