Surprising Health Benefits of Talking to Strangers

Ms. Samiksha Jain

Advanced Skills in Counselling, BSIC, Advanced Trainee of Transactional Analysis, DCS, Hypnotherapist · Psychologist · 

Surprising Health Benefits of Talking to Strangers

Usually we avoid talking to strangers as we are brought up with the advice of not talking to them since childhood. This was for our safety purpose at the young age when we didn’t have proper understanding of good or bad. But we continue to be suspicious toward the strange people even after we grow up ending up not talking with strangers.

Humans are very social by nature still we fail to show our social stripes with strangers. We should increase our social interactions with strange people assuming that they are friendly which is true with most of the people. This is because there are many hidden long run health benefits of talking to strangers.

Surprising 4 health benefits of talking to strangers

1. Improve your mental health
Meeting random strangers and talking to them boost your mood as the interaction is without any future obligation or negative consequences. In conversation, a stranger listens you and may even help you to find your own answers to problems. Thus talking to strangers makes you happy and promotes your mental health.

2. Reduce the feelings of depression and anxiety
Human beings are social animals. Talking to strangers improve our social skills and give social support to overcome loneliness. It increases the feeling of self- esteem and enhances your self- confidence. The conversation with strangers can even make you new friends with whom you may share your problems and worries. Hence, talking to strangers act as anti depression and anti anxiety therapy.

3. Reduce the risk of causing schizophrenia
Socially isolated people are at higher risks of getting affected from schizophrenia. Interacting with strangers is a way to remove feeling of being isolated, hence also effective in lowering the risks of causing schizophrenia to you.

4. Reduced risk of heart attack
Talking to strangers removes depression, anxiety as mentioned above. High prevalence of anxiety and depression in people put them at the higher risks of coronary heart diseases. So talking to strangers is also good for your heart lowering the risks of heart disease.