I’m an introvert through and through. A multitude of personality tests that I’ve taken, including the Quiet Revolution test and the Myers-Briggs analysis, have backed this up. Perhaps it’s genetics or perhaps it’s because I was homeschooled K-12 in rural Idaho. Whatever the case may be, I’m “that guy” at busy conferences who ducks away to my room to go recharge my batteries every few hours – something I can only accomplish by escaping the crowds and being entirely by myself. I thrive on long walks, multi-hour hikes and extended bike rides – usually alone. I become exhausted at networking events and cocktail parties and often slip away early to sleep, to curl up with a good book, or simply to meditate and breathe. Even at family events, I can often be found off in some quiet corner reading or strumming on my guitar or ukulele. As a matter of fact, when I was a child, my parents had to coax me, persuade me and yes, even  threaten me with punishment, to actually get my nose out of my book and be gracious enough to ever so briefly emerge from my bedroom to say a quick hello to any guests we had at the house, after which I would subsequently rush back to my room and curl up once again with my book (I’d often read until 3 or 4am and consume several books each day and night!).  But at the same time, even though I’m completely happy being a loner, I now go out of my way to ensure that (as uncomfortable or unnatural as it was for me initially) I spend plenty of time carving out a couple hours each night for a family dinner and nighttime family rituals, for connecting with old and new friends, for attending networking events, for scheduling plenty of book signings and meet-and-greets, for traveling to crowded conferences and for actively engaging in local church, community and charity events. In fact, if one didn't know better, they might honestly mistake me for a bit of a social butterfly. So - aside from my desire to not be an arrogant, hard-to-approach, uncommunicative @$$hole - why have I begun to incorporate such a strong emphasis in my life on optimizing friends, charity, community relationships and love? As it turns out, there is a fascinating link between love, family, social connectedness and relationships and a longer lifespan. I'm about to supply you with a host of practical love tips to include in your own life for a longer lifespan and better health. After all, owning an amazing body and a sharp mind can all be for naught if loneliness, sadness, inflammation, high blood pressure and accelerated aging are all occurring due to a lack of friendships, social relationships, community, charity and love. This podcast will teach you exactly why and how to include these important components into your own body, mind and spirit routine. During this solosode, you'll discover: -How loneliness, or "social isolation" negatively affects your physical health...8:30 Becoming more and more of a problem worldwide Correlated with the increased use of "social" media Physicians are simply not trained how to deal with it Can affect anyone, anywhere. Not limited to a particular demographic, i.e. introverts, socially awkward, depressed, etc. Affects a person physically as well as emotionally Ancestral roots of our social needs; "loneliness" meant the tribe had abandoned you. Dunbar's Number: Total # of companions we can effectively socialize: 150 12 people in an "inner circle" Social media is effective for facilitating community, but lacks the deep connections you get from face to face We don't know our neighbors by name and by face We're not experiencing relationships the way we're programmed to Signals and "vibes" we give off in face to face -The correlation between smartphone prevalence and loneliness...16:15 Smartphone addiction and social anxiety Kids who spend more than 3 hours per day on a phone are at higher risk of suicide and depression "Not an exaggeration to say the iGen is on the brink of the worst social mental health crisis i