When someone asks me what’s my #1 tip for better health and well being, I usually say something like go to bed early, get the phone out of the bedroom, or err on the side of eating real food instead of fake food. But I realized today my real #1 tip is to always choose people. When you could spend a Saturday surfing social media, choose hanging out with people in real life instead. If you’re listening to a podcast while doing dishes, call someone you love instead. If it’s inconvenient or a hassle to share your space with other people, and they trigger you, and leave the toilet seat up and don’t use coasters (the horror!), choose to share your space with people anyway. Relationships are messy–embrace that mess. If you find it uncomfortable and vulnerable to put yourself out there trying to make friends, get vulnerable, rather than staying closed, cool, and safe. Just choose people, every. single. time. Unless you’re introverted, in which case, choose a hefty dose of solo recharge time, and when you’re ready, choose people again. This is really the only key to a fulfilling life that matters at the end of the day. I mean, along with gluten and blood sugar and sleep and stuff. But I’ll admit it–people matter even more.
About the Author Ellen Vora, MD
Ellen Vora, M.D., is a holistic psychiatrist practicing with Frank Lipman, M.D., at the Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in NYC. "I take a functional medicine approach to mental health, which is a root-cause approach to understanding and treating illness."