When you’re not feeling at your most resilient or robust, it’s completely natural to pull back. Pull back from friends, from work, from hobbies — sometimes even from family. This isn’t a personal failure or a lack of motivation; it’s a normal and, in many cases, healthy response from the body.

The challenge is that human beings — yes, even the introverts among us — tend to experience better physical and mental health when we have meaningful social connection. When health challenges stretch on for weeks or months, that natural tendency to withdraw can quietly turn into ongoing isolation, which may no longer be supporting your recovery or longer term health.

A recent World Health Organization report brought together a large body of research on this topic and offered a powerful reminder: prolonged social isolation is associated with health risks comparable to smoking. Social connection, on the other hand, is consistently linked to better mental wellbeing, stronger immune function, and a lower risk of early death.
(WHO: “Social connection linked to improved health and reduced risk of early death”)

When Illness Makes Connection Feel Harder — Not Easier

If you’re living with Long COVID, chronic Lyme disease, ME/CFS, or another chronic condition, the pull to step back from social interaction can be even stronger.

When my symptoms were at their worst, there were many reasons I hesitated to connect with others. I worried about getting sick — or making someone else sick. I didn’t know if I would have the energy to show up if I committed to something. I wasn’t sure I’d have the capacity to actually enjoy a social interaction if I did go — would it be noisy or overstimulating? Would I be able to hold a conversation through the brain fog? Could I manage the facial expressions and emotional energy that social situations often require?

And then there was the biggest concern of all: if I did venture out, would it trigger a crash and set me back? Add in the fact that we had a toddler at the time, and the result was simple — we weren’t going out or seeing people much at all.

Understanding “Sickness Behavior”

What I was experiencing — and what many people with prolonged illness experience — is something called sickness behavior.

Sickness behavior is the body’s built-in response to illness. When your immune system is activated, it sends signals to the brain that encourage you to rest, conserve energy, and reduce stimulation. You feel more tired, less motivated, less social. You want quiet, comfort, and distance.

In the short term — like when you have a cold or the flu — this is incredibly helpful. Resting, limiting social interaction, and reducing demands gives your body the space it needs to heal and helps reduce the spread of illness.

The problem arises when sickness behavior stays switched on for too long. Much like the stress response, a pattern that is protective in the short term can become unhelpful when it becomes chronic. Persistent withdrawal from movement, engagement, and social connection can start to reinforce fatigue, low mood, and nervous system dysregulation. Instead of supporting recovery, it can quietly slow it down.

Over time, this can create a feedback loop: feeling unwell leads to isolation, isolation worsens symptoms, and worsening symptoms make connection feel even harder.

Why Social Connection Matters More Than We Realize

The WHO report highlights just how significant social connection is for health. People with stronger social ties consistently show:

• Better mental wellbeing and lower rates of depression and anxiety
  
• Stronger immune system function
• Lower risk of cardiovascular disease and other chronic illnesses
  
• Reduced risk of early mortality — on par with other major lifestyle factors
  

Importantly, this does not mean being constantly busy or socially “on.” It’s about meaningful, supportive connection — feeling understood, enjoying shared experiences and being part of something beyond yourself.

These impacts from the right type of social connections are not trivial. They underscore that social interaction is not a “nice to have” when it comes to health — it’s a foundational input.

But What If You Don’t Feel Well Enough?

This is the real question. How do you prioritize social connection when your energy is limited, unpredictable, or fragile? 

At ThriveNinety, we often talk about the outsized impact of small, deliberate actions. About prioritizing what gives you energy and brings you a sense of safety, meaning, or joy. Social interaction fits squarely into this framework.

You don’t need to do what you used to do. You don’t need to stay long. You don’t need to push through discomfort or exhaustion. What matters is doing something.

Maybe it’s a five-minute phone call.
Maybe it’s a quiet walk with one trusted person.
Maybe it’s sitting outside with a neighbor or sending a voice note instead of a text.

Start small. Keep it manageable. Stay within your safe zone so you get the benefit of meaningful interactions without pushing your system too far. With the right people, social interaction can be a powerful energy giver. And when combined with other evidence-based tools for nervous system regulation and recovery, it can help support an upward spiral of healing, resilience, and reconnection.

You don’t have to do it all. You just have to take the next small step.       

Warmly,
Katie

Related Blog posts: 

Long Covid Invisible, Lonely and Disabling - but There is Hope   

Where Do You Want to Be This Time Next Year?  

Why Making Small Decisions Helps You Feel Better

How Resilience Helps You and the People You Love