It may seem paradoxical that I consider a “guys ski weekend” a health-promoting activity, but I celebrate the occasion with my husband.
(Francisco Djorses | Salt Lake Tribune) Passholders head to the limited slopes at Nordic Valley Ski Resort in Weber County on Friday, Jan. 19, 2024. The historic lodge, a barn built in the 1920s, is pictured in the background below. A fire that broke out earlier this week destroyed much of the building.
As a clinical psychologist who has studied how social connections can improve health, I can’t help but appreciate the “everyone” ski weekend my husband has scheduled.
My friends who also go with their husbands lament this trip, calling it a “frat boy” trip, but I consider it a blessing. No, it’s not because I enjoy time away from her husband. In fact, I am well aware of studies that demonstrate that men have an average life expectancy of about 6 years less than women and a 38% higher risk of death compared to women. This disparity is thought to be at least partly due to the fact that men tend to have fewer and less diverse social relationships than women.
Sociologists and psychologists have found that socially forbidden beliefs about masculinity, a tendency to value independence and competition over belonging, a lack of opportunities to form close bonds with other men, and other factors that influence men’s friendships I have identified many reasons why people struggle with this. But the evidence is clear. Lack of social connection is a major cause of disease risk and mortality, and the Surgeon General has released a report naming social isolation a health epidemic.
To put this into context, social disconnection increases the risk of chronic disease at a level equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes per day or alcohol use disorder. Conversely, people who are socially connected are 50% less likely to die than those who are not in relationships.
So while my friends may not understand why I truly feel these trips are a blessing, I do know that they are an opportunity for my husband and his friends to strengthen social connections and improve their health. I know, and yes, I probably drank too much.
It’s time to break down the social barriers that prevent men from forming close bonds with other men and start valuing the power of social connections for health and well-being. It’s also time to recognize the importance of social connections for everyone, regardless of gender or age group, as the epidemic of social isolation is unfortunately taking a toll on everyone.
It may seem paradoxical for me to think of a “guys ski weekend” as a health-promoting activity, knowing that it definitely involves some drinking and debauchery, but I think these men Celebrate the opportunities to develop friendships that are life itself. -last. And since this trip looks like it’s going to blow away his dry January, maybe I can convince him to try “his February without alcohol.” After all, the key to a long and fulfilling life is a balance between healthy relationships and practicing healthy behaviors.
Wendy Troxell He is a senior behavioral social scientist at the Rand Corporation. She and her husband live in Park City.
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