According to the dictionary, community is defined as a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interest, and goals. Community is essential for a healthy and happy life. Community can be anything from a friend group, to a sports team, a club at school, or a group of people at work. There is something that is linking communities together, but they are formed in different ways. A community is a familiar thread used to bring people together to advocate and support each other in the fight to overcome those threats. As human beings, we need a sense of belonging, and that sense of belonging is what connects us to the many relationships we develop.
Belonging is crucial to human existence. It is fundamental for happiness and a sense of well-being. Our interests, motivation, health and happiness are completely tied to the feeling that we belong to a greater community. According to a study published on CNN, Isolation, loneliness and low social status can harm a person’s subjective sense of well-being, as well as his or her intellectual achievement, immune function and health. Research shows that even a single instance of exclusion can undermine well-being, IQ test performance and self-control.
Another study was published that having friends and community is just as important as diet and exercise, and we all know how important diet and exercise are for our health. The new study from researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, suggests that people with good, supportive relationships are also healthier: They tend to have lower blood pressure, a smaller body mass index, and lower levels of inflammation than those without these positive social ties. Community is especially so important for adolescence and young adults that social isolation had more of a negative impact on the body and mind than a lack of exercise.