13th February 2020 / Prue Fletcher: Why We Should Spend More Time With Our Neighbours

It scares me that we live in a world where the small device in which you are likely reading this from has a way of keeping us connected to those furthest away but disconnects us to those who are closest.

I grew up in a quiet, leafy court in the North-Eastern suburbs of Melbourne, where the street lights indicated it was time to come in of a night-time. I was allowed to ride to school with my sisters and if mum ran out of eggs to bake a cake in the afternoon, I'd race next door and borrow one from our neighbour, Cheryl.

These days, a commonly asked question we get from prospective buyers is, 'what are the neighbours like?' While this does give me hope, more often than not, the response from vendors seems to be along the lines of, 'not sure, we're so busy and don't really have much to do with them.'

Real connections with real people are so incredibly special and unfortunately, the modern world is making us lonelier than ever. In fact, The Independent reported that 'social anxiety will most likely be the biggest public health issue, on par with obesity and substance abuse'.



The same article goes on to say, 'a recent review of studies indicates that loneliness increases mortality risk by 26%'.

So why is neighbourly-love facing extinction? The pressures modern-day families are under likely hold the answer.

More and more, people are living with their heads down and our increasing reliance on social technology at the expense of human interaction is making society feel more isolated. As a result, we feel less connected to those around us. Our relationships are at risk of becoming more superficial - and much less rewarding.

Researchers from the University of Michigan conducted a study which found maintaining close-knit relationships with your neighbours could lead to 'hidden health benefits and may even reduce people's risk of suffering a heart attack'.

The findings published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health go on to say that 'more cohesive neighbourhoods might also be generating more positive emotions and life satisfaction, which has independently been linked with enhanced health, even after adjusting for things like stress and depression.'

Traditionally, a suburb's overall value and performance is measured by property prices, land sizes, proximity to the CBD, schools, amenities and public transport. Imagine a world where these new findings could affect the way we rank and review suburbs in the future.

When my husband and I purchased our family home on the outskirts of the CBD, I was worried my girls wouldn't have what I had growing up. Streets to roam freely, a nonna who grows tomatoes in her front yard and lets you pick one on the way home from school, or even a milkbar owner down the street who treats their regular customers to an extra marshmallow or two with their morning coffee.

It's crazy how such small memories of your childhood can have such a profound impact.

At home, we're so lucky, we found great neighbours -the very best. We joke about putting a gate between our two houses or knocking the fence down altogether.



There's some days I walk out the front door with screaming kids and don't feel like talking, but when I get home in the afternoon, if I want or need anything there is always a calming voice, often with a wine in hand, ready to either share in the craziness or co-exist in the silence to help navigate the hours until our husbands walks through the door. Knowing our girls are safe and loved within our small community is a feeling I will continue to foster daily.

When the day comes that one of our neighbouring families moves, I for one, can say that it will either be to a commune together or with the loving parting words to the home's new caretakers, 'What are the neighbours like? Oh, they're part of our family'.

Love thy neighbor.

Prue Fletcher
Brand & Lifestyle Ambassador
prue.fletcher@fletchers.net.au
@prue_fletcher