When our bodies are missing something important, they often let us know. We feel tired when we need sleep. We feel thirsty when we need water. We crave certain foods when our bodies are looking for energy or nutrients and sometimes, we may discover a deficiency. When we are looking to restore a nutritive imbalance, we may take vitamins, change our eating habits and add something back into our daily routine. What happens when the thing we are missing cannot be found on a nutrition label? What happens when the deficiency is connection?
July is Social Wellness Month, a time to recognize that relationships, belonging, and meaningful interactions are not just nice additions to life. They are important parts of overall health. Connection is often like an invisible vitamin, when you aren’t getting it, you feel it. According to the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on Social Connection (www.hhs.gov), social connection is a fundamental human need, and lacking it increases the risk of depression, anxiety, heart disease, early mortality, and other health concerns. Loneliness is not simply the feeling of being alone, it is the painful feeling that we’re disconnected, unseen, or unsupported. People can feel lonely, even when they’re surrounded by people and in relationships. While it may look like someone’s social web is full and healthy, that invisible need for connection can still be unmet and cause true despair.
Here in Vermont, we know that living in a small community does not automatically protect someone from loneliness. You can wave to neighbors, attend appointments, go to work, and still feel like no one truly knows how you are doing. A recent report shared on Vermont Public (vermontpublic.org), shared in January 2026, proves just how deep the wounds of disconnection can go. This study examined social isolation in Vermont communities and highlighted the impact loneliness can have on health and quality of life. It reminds us that this is not just a personal issue, it is a community health issue. As Vermonters, we know that sometimes we don’t always put ourselves first, but, when it comes to community, we care! Making this need to supplement something we can’t buy or donate even more troublesome.
How do we fix a social wellness issue? The answer is not to suddenly fill every empty space on the calendar. Social wellness is not about being the busiest person in the room, attending every event, or having hundreds of friends. Just like a healthy diet needs variety, a healthy social life needs variety too. Think of connection as a balanced plate.
Some people need the “protein” of deep relationships. You know, the trusted friend they can call during a difficult season. Others benefit from the “fruits and vegetables” of regular small interactions. This is a conversation with a neighbor, a friendly face at a community event, or a familiar greeting during a weekly activity. Some connections are the “whole grains” that keep us grounded over time. Think about volunteering, belonging to a group, attending a class, or contributing to something larger than ourselves. However, we sometimes need a little “treat” too! The laughter shared over coffee, a funny story, or a spontaneous conversation that brightens the day. Social wellness isn’t made up of just deep relationships; it’s a few close friends, a few more friendly acquaintances, and the willingness to join in with the shared laughter found in group scenarios.
A common misconception is that social wellness is only for extroverts. It is not. Introverts aren’t unhealthy because they prefer smaller gatherings, quiet conversations, or time alone to recharge. Social wellness isn’t measured by the number of people around you. It’s measured by whether the relationships in your life bring support, meaning, and a sense of belonging. For someone who experiences social anxiety, the answer is not to force yourself into overwhelming situations. Start with smaller steps. Send a message. Sit near someone familiar. Attend an event for 15 minutes. Take a walk with one person instead of joining a large group. Small servings still count.
According to the University of Minnesota’s Center for Spirituality & Healing (www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu), social wellness includes building healthy relationships, developing supportive connections, and creating a sense of belonging. This summer, consider checking your connection levels the same way you check other parts of your health. Are you spending time with people who help you feel valued? Are you offering connections to others who may need them? Are you creating opportunities to belong? Or are you participating in places where this can take place?
At The Wellness Center and throughout our community, we see this happen every day. People may arrive for exercise, wellness programs, or events, but often the greatest benefit is the encouragement, laughter, and friendships that develop along the way. People of all ages, walks of life and some of the most unexpected friendships happen here in the place we call: the meeting place for fun, health, and fitness. There’s a reason we have stayed open for over 43 years, we think it’s because sometimes the most important supplement
we can add to our wellness routine is not found in a bottle. It is found in the moments when we feel seen, supported, and connected. That’s found here.
We need each other. Like it or not we are meant to be interacting with others and humans find value in that shared experience of exchanging time, energy, talent, and laughter, sometimes tears, and maybe even just “being.” Not every connection has to be the best one you ever make, or last a lifetime, but when you start to cut connections out, it shows. It hurts. If you are craving more, it’s time for more this summer! Meet up, hang out, and join in with others when you can, because you never know when you might just be missing that invisible vitamin: connection!