What’s the one thing that can make the biggest impact on our health and wellbeing? You might be surprised at the answer.
Prompted by our Men’s Health Month programme of events, CEO of Coastline Allister Young talks about wellbeing priorities in his latest opinion piece.
What makes the most difference to our long-term health and wellbeing? Is it diet - more vegetables, less red meat, less alcohol? Or exercise - aiming for 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week? Or maybe it’s who our parents are and what genes they passed on to us?
I recently listened to a fascinating episode of the Eat Sleep Work Repeat podcast (thanks to Justin Fisher, one of Coastline’s Board members, for the recommendation!). It features Professor Alex Haslam, a leading academic in psychology, health, and wellbeing. And it turns out the research shows that the most important thing isn’t diet, exercise or genetics – it’s how many social groups you actively belong to. And perhaps even more surprisingly: it doesn’t matter much what those groups do. What matters is that you feel part of something bigger than yourself.
Think about that for a moment.
We often focus on individual habits – eating better, moving more, sleeping well – and those things matter. But Haslam’s research suggests that our sense of identity and belonging is even more powerful. Being part of a book club, a sports team, a volunteering group, or even a workplace community (Coastline has a workplace choir and a golfing group to name a couple) can have a profound impact on our mental and physical health. It’s not just about company; it’s about connection.
Listening to the podcast made me think about my own experience. I’ve shared before in one of these updates that I took the step of joining my local cycle club in the summer after Covid. I didn’t join for the cycling though. I joined because I realised that my friends weren’t that into cycling, which meant I spent a lot of time cycling by myself. So even though I was a bit scared of pitching up and meeting a whole bunch of new people (what would they think of me?), I turned up one Sunday morning to Lemon Quay in Truro and started a new life adventure. That simple step of connecting with a group of people has made a huge difference to my life, to my health and wellbeing.
At Coastline, we take these things seriously. For this to be a great place to work, somewhere with ‘Great People’, we have to make sure we support the people who make Coastline what it is. So our wellbeing initiatives aren’t just “nice to have”; they help us build a workplace where everyone feels valued, connected, and able to thrive. When we invest in wellbeing, we invest in better outcomes for colleagues, customers and the wider community.
That’s why we’re marking Men’s Health Month with activities designed to encourage those connections – from laughter yoga to lunchtime walks and wellbeing tips. These are great opportunities to strengthen the social ties that are vital for our resilience and happiness. And ladies, don’t get complacent. It’s just as important for women as it is for men. Although you do seem to have head start – the research shows that women often maintain broader networks as they age, whereas men can become more isolated. Maybe us men can learn from you?
Anyway, here’s my challenge for the month: find one way to connect. Join a group, start a conversation, or take part in a wellbeing activity. It’s good for your mental health, and it’s good for your wider community. If you’re not sure where to start, why not ask your friends or colleagues which groups they would recommend and give one of those a go.
I’ll leave you with a thought from the podcast: “Identity isn’t just who you are, it’s who you’re with.” That feels especially relevant as we continue to build a workplace here at Coastline where everyone feels they belong.