Health benefits next door

Did you know people living in neighbourhoods that are highly connected enjoy, overall, higher levels of physical and mental health?

That’s why we’re getting behind Neighbour Day, Australia’s annual celebration of community. You can get involved too this Sunday, March 26 by reaching out and connecting with your neighbours. You could grab a cuppa, throw a picnic or simply knock on the door of older person in your neighbour and say hi.

Need more convincing? Getting to know your neighbours can reap plenty of benefits, including:

• developing new friendships
• feeling an increased sense of security
• being able to ask your neighbour to keep an eye on your home, collect your mail or feed your pet while you're away on holidays. Even give you that extra egg or cup of sugar when you need it.

We know social connections are good for our mental and physical health but sadly as we get older our social network can shrink and the risk of feeling lonely increases. By taking time to reach out to older people who may be feeling socially isolated you can change this. We all feel better when we belong and getting involved in Neighbour Day's a great place to start.

Find out more about Neighbour Day at www.neighbourday.org