Loneliness: The Pandemic Nobody Is Talking About

Why it’s essential for you to overcome loneliness and focus on connection.

With terms like ‘social distancing’ and  ‘social isolation’ becoming an ever-increasing part of our day to day language, it’s never been more important to double down on connecting with those around us.

Whilst global media focuses on the healthcare and economic outcomes of this situation there is another pandemic that isn’t been spoken about nearly enough, and it’s one that was prevalent long before COVID-19.

Loneliness

Studies prior to COVID-19 found that approximately 1 in 4 people struggle with feeling lonely in their day to day lives¹. We can’t even begin to imagine how much this number has risen since we’ve all been staying at home.

Before you jump into the rest of the article we wanted to let you know that if you are feeling lonely and you wanted to debrief with a professional you’re more than welcome to book in a complimentary connection call here: https://bucoaching.org/connection-call/

The Effects of Loneliness

Feeling lonely has repeatedly been shown to have negative consequences on your mental health, physical health and overall emotional wellbeing. In particular, loneliness has been correlated with:

1. An increase in stress response²

People who feel lonely on a consistent basis are also more likely to feel stressed due to the body’s physical response to loneliness. When we feel lonely our cortisol (the stress hormone) increases and can make our body feel like it’s under attack.

2. Lowered mood and an increased likelihood of depression³

It’s no surprise that loneliness often lowers our mood. But you may be surprised to know that it’s strongly correlated with an increased likelihood of depression. In fact, numerous studies have found that connection and strong relationships are not only an effective way to prevent depression, they’re also an essential component of thriving as a human being

3. A compromised immune system⁴

This is such an important one to highlight at the moment. Feeling lonely actually reduces your immune system. One study found that college students who felt lonely were more likely to get the flu and took longer to recover when sick compared to college students with a strong social network.

Other studies have even found that loneliness can be worse for your health than smoking.⁵

When we are all living in the midst of a global health crisis it’s crucial that we do everything we can to support a healthy and robust immune system.

How to Overcome Loneliness

To help you overcome loneliness we’ve compiled 3 of our favourite connection tips and tricks that you can implement into your life immediately.

1. Ditch the term social distancing and replace it with physical distancing

Let’s be really clear about this. It is incredibly important to our healthcare system and people’s lives at the moment that we all keep our physical distance from one another, but that doesn’t mean we need to sacrifice being social. 

2. Organise video call hangouts with friends and family

If you’re used to catching up with friends for a drink on a Friday night or having dinner with your extended family every second week then we encourage you to continue these traditions and routines. But instead of being there in person embrace the numerous technology solutions available to us such as Zoom, Facebook Video Call or FaceTime to organise digital hangouts.

Although it won’t necessarily feel as good or the same as connecting in person any form of connection right now is better than no connection

3. Reconnect with people you’ve fallen out of touch with

We get it. Life gets busy and sometimes relationships get put on the sideline whilst we focus more on our careers, immediate family or our health. The good news is it’s likely that you’ve got a little more spare time on your hands at the moment. Use that time to write a letter to an old friend or even better, give them a call. 

No matter which option you choose we highly encourage you to take action towards connecting with someone today.

PS: If you’d like to connect with a tribe of likeminded people who are passionate about fulfilling their potential and thriving in life then make sure you click below to find out more about enrolling as a Freshman in our Personal Development & Wellbeing Accelerator. 

CLICK HERE: https://bucoaching.org/accelerator/