The Power of Human Connection

We read the news the other day about a robot massage company getting $83 million in funding. In the past few years the world seems to celebrate AI over human beings. While doing so, we overlook the profound impact that human connection has on our overall well-being.

Research continually shows that human connection plays a huge role in not only our mental health but also our physical health, longevity, and quality of life. From in-person gatherings to the power of a simple hug or a deep friendship, our connections with others are foundational to living a long, fulfilling life.

Touch—from another human—literally helps us grow and survive.

It triggers the release of oxytocin—a hormone that not only fosters emotional closeness but also lowers cortisol levels, the body’s primary stress hormone.

Tiffany Field, a professor at the University of Miami School of Medicine, found that massage promotes growth and enhances emotional well-being in premature and low birth weight infants.

One notable study, published in Psychosomatic Medicine in 2014, found that people who received regular massage therapy reported lower levels of anxiety and depression, as well as significant improvements in pain management. In addition, the act of touch can help reduce heart rate and lower blood pressure, contributing to overall cardiovascular health.

Whether it’s a comforting touch from a loved one or a therapeutic massage, human touch has a tangible impact on both our emotional and physical health. And it’s not just touch….

Relying on Technology at the Expense of Human Interaction

I do not use whoop. I do not use an Apple Watch. I do not use an Oura ring.

I am in touch with my needs and I run regular biomarkers and advanced labs enough to know exactly what’s going on in my body.

I see so many people relying on technology to the point where they’re not actually able to tell whether or not they had enough sleep or they require some nutrients until they’ve checked their monitors.

How is this progress for our health?

I’m all about technology when it can help us… (and getting scans/labs reveal a lot more for data than any wearable monitor can).

But relying on tech at the sake of our own wisdom is hurting our ability to truly heal. So much of our health is more than the physical.

We have forgotten to actually sit and FEEL and understand what it means to feel healthy and vibrant and awesome.

We have forgotten that the physical data is only one part of the story.

Our relationships
Our environment
Our purpose
Our communities

….are directly linked to healthspan and lifespan.

I think we’ve forgotten how to be human and feel human–we’ve forgotten that the foundation of our health is more than what can be tracked on a monitor.

Live Longer and Better With Community

There’s something irreplaceable about in-person interactions—whether it’s a local community event, family gatherings, or a casual meet-up with friends. Human beings are social creatures, and studies suggest that community involvement can significantly improve both lifespan and healthspan (the portion of our life spent in good health).

A study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health underscores the importance of social connectedness, revealing that people with strong social networks tend to live longer, healthier lives. The study found that individuals who engage in their communities—whether through family, social networks, or organized groups—experience lower levels of chronic diseases, lower mortality rates, and better overall health outcomes.

In contrast, loneliness and social isolation have been linked to a host of health problems, including increased risks of heart disease, stroke, and cognitive decline. A landmark study in 2017 published in PLOS Medicine found that loneliness is as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and that it’s a major risk factor for early death.

The power of in-person community and human interaction cannot be overstated in our quest for longevity.

In person events and community gatherings with Rêve Health — In person events and community gatherings are an essential part of the Rêve Health philosophy

Loneliness is as Harmful as Smoking 15 Cigarettes a Day.
U.S. Surgeon General

Optimism and Resilience are Linked to Strong Relationships

The Harvard Study of Adult Development, one of the longest-running studies on happiness, followed over 700 men for more than 80 years. The results? Close, meaningful relationships—particularly those with friends and family—are the greatest predictors of happiness and longevity.

Friendships and close relationships not only bring joy and laughter into our lives, but they also act as a buffer against life’s challenges. Studies have repeatedly shown that people with strong social connections tend to be more optimistic, resilient, and mentally healthy.

Research from Yale University supports this idea, showing that people who have strong social networks tend to be more optimistic, which in turn helps them cope better with stress and bounce back from setbacks more quickly.

These psychological benefits enhance resilience, contributing to mental and physical health, and increasing our quality of life.

Strong relationships help us be optimistic

Doubling Down on Humanity

You wouldn’t believe how many times investor friends have told me the way to scale Rêve Health is to use AI, instead of people, to do our analyzing of lab work or provide recommendations and guidance.

That’s when I get to tell them the catalyst for the company was the lack of human interpretation and the lack of connection with existing companies running biomarker labs.

When I met Maddy, she was able to review my lab reports from a truly holistic perspective, taking into account all the things AI doesn’t deem important, because it is not sentient. It does not make a correlation between our relationships, or stress or lack of sleep, or daily habits and overall health.

AI simply cannot–and won’t–take into account the full story of you. It doesn’t understand why a life purpose or quality of your relationships matter because it is not human.

The more our society moves toward the singularity and becomes disconnected from humanity, the more we’re going to double down on being human.

Data is important–we rely on it to run advanced lab work, and our process relies on evidenced-based Functional Health and Traditional Chinese Medicine. But we also take into account how our members FEEL, what they like to do or not, and emotional reactions which AI–and many western health practitioners–tend to dismiss.

At the end of the day humans being human with each other (and ourselves) is the strongest link to healthspan and lifespan.

Our core values will always include connection and community. If this resonates with you, we’d love for you to be a member.

EXPLORE OUR PROTOCOLS

Thehouse-sterling — Our upcoming retreat at the Sterling Forest Lodge in Stowe, Vermont, is one of the ways we connect with our community in person.

Author

Julie Elaine Brown

Julie is the CEO and Co-founder of Rêve Health. She is a serial entrepreneur, accredited investor, and marketing strategist. She ran and sold a funded ecommerce wellness retreat company in 2012 and then started a strategy & transformation consultancy serving Fortune 100 clients. She has a Masters degree in Journalism from Northeastern University and a B.A. in English Literature. As a former Journalist, she is an avid researcher and reader. She enjoys hiking, biohacking, walking her dog, travel, wellness retreats, and watching sci-fi.
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