"When you talk together you are processing information you are articulating information you might not have thought of before, and relating and feeding information into your schema and how you look at the world and validation and normalising of experience."
That is part of social connection – talking through the emotions. Finding the opportunities where people can come together will be just as medicinal as the steps and running and physical activities.
The two experts also took time to explore volunteering as an answer to social isolation, and suggested things such as volunteering.
Not only can this make you feel good, but volunteering is an opportunity to get out and do something which will likely improve mental health and to engage with our communities.
Social support
Likewise, a person on long-term sick leave can be encouraged to re-engage with their social support.
“So if a person had a knee injury and couldn’t attend his running club, encourage him to return to the club and for a meeting in the bar with his team mates after, so he can talk to people, and therefore socialise.
"You can think it is the physical side and the exercise but you can miss the social elements that someone is missing if they have a physical injury and can’t participate in,” said Denning.
The pair talked about the fears some people have of being on sick leave. “Just because a person is on sick leave the onus can be on being under the duvet, a patient, resting.”
Getting people out of the house can help people fight social anxiety and social isolation.
Volunteering can be half-way house to returning to work, and it can get you into a community of people to help you get structure to your day and build your physical cognitive and social domains.
An employee may be off work sick, but there is a big gap between being able to perform the duties of their occupation, and returning to the summer party for 30 minutes to say hello to colleagues.
This can also help to diminish social anxiety after being off work, and help keep in touch with colleagues and clients in-person, in an informal setting.
Anita Boniface is a freelance journalist
