A Cure for the Common Company

7The Friends and Family Plan: Peer Support

WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, my friend Brad and I shot baskets, rode our bikes, and played tennis together. We were also part of a neighborhood group that played kickball, kick the can, and running bases. So many active outdoor games! When my family bought our Atari set, Brad was right there next to my brother and me as we learned how to play Space Invaders. Little did I know that kids 40 years later would, by and large, forsake the outdoor playground for connectedness through remote gaming and social media. Friends no longer encourage and support running, but rather sitting.

You can observe the similarities of the people around you. Not only are you likely similar in exercise (or lack thereof) patterns, but also in your weight. Our risk of being obese is more than 50 percent if we have an obese friend! If we have a friend who is a heavy alcohol drinker, then our risk of also drinking heavily is 50 percent more as well.¹

Our friends and family also affect our happiness. Did you ever notice that even just a smile from someone nearby can cause us to smile? Try it! It's a quick experiment. Smile at your co‐worker and see how quickly they smile back. It's a very simple way to boost someone else's mood as well as your own. Why not add smiling to your well‐being culture strategy?

Unfortunately, other, less desirable emotions of our co‐workers, such as feelings of sadness and stress, can also influence our mood. The good news is that we don't have ...