" Thanks to technology, we can be in contact with others 24 hours a day. and yet, more and more people complain about loneliness of modern life. Technology is no substitute for social networks. Human contact is the only way to keep your body and mind healthy."

Hectic situations at work, problems with the children, last-minute shopping and stacks of dirty dishes in the kitchen. Stressful everyday situations such as these are only too familiar to most people today. But it is not day-to-day stress alone that takes its toll on the body. There are a umber of events in life which leave far deeper mark than those left by unruly children or a hiccup in your career.

 Psychologists have identified a number of severe emotional upheavals which leave permanent scars on the psyche. These are events such as the sudden death of a partner, divorce, loss of employment or excessive debt. But even age-related changes in life, such as puberty, menopause, retirement or children leaving home, certainly have physical consequences. In these situations, it is especially important to have around you people you can talk to. Isolated people run twice the normal risk of falling prey to serious illness or even death.

A study conducted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed the importance of the support function of those with whom we share our lives. The study centred on a small working-class town in Pennsylvania over a period of 12 years. In this town the inhabitants - who were for the most part Italian immigrant families - had maintained close-knit social and family arrangements, as was traditional for them. They suffered from the same risk factors as other Americans - overeating, smoking and lack of physical exercise - but their rate of fattal heart attacks was only half of that recorded in neighbouring communities. The security of a smooth-functioning social structure obviously helped to protect themembers of the community from many of the ailments that affected other communities. As the year went on, this traditional social cohesion began to dissolve and the rate of heart attack approached that of neighbouring cities.

 Although infectious diseases such as malaria and typhoid are the main cause of death in developing countries, diseases of the heart and the circulatory system occupy first place in industrial nations. Research by doctors in the US has shown that the patients suffering from various diseases can, by a change in lifestyle, influence the course of their illness by a factor of upto 50 percent.

However, it isn't enough simplyto eliminate the main risk factors - tobacco, alcohol, fatty foods and lack of exercise. Anyone who wishes to adopt a healthy lifestyle should also put the right emphasis on their social environment. Periods of strain should balance periods of relaxation. In the long term, too much stress and strain makes the person just as ill as doing nothing. Humans have a need to be busy, but being too bust isn't good for you. As with so many things, the principle to follow is moderation. Only if you do things in moderation will your days be fulfilled and your nights restful. If you want to be active during the day, you need to have a good night's sleep. During the night, the brain gets far more oxygen than during the day, while blood pressure, heart rate and frequency of breathing are mostly lower than during the day.