Stop The Lonely!
A song from the late 70’s has been coming to my mind recently. I know it reveals my age, but that isn’t always a bad thing, right? The song is Fly Like An Eagle by the Steve Miller Band from 1976. The line I have been thinking about is “Time keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping into the future”. Unfortunately, so do isolation and loneliness. And it’s worse because of the 2020 Pandemic. I did some research about how loneliness is getting worse even though we seem to be at the heels of the Covid-19 Pandemic of 2020.
As if friendships leading up to 2020 weren’t already struggling because of the dominance of virtual relationships, the Corona Virus solidified the distancing that was driving a wedge into meaningful relationships. Even before the Coronavirus, social distancing was sometimes regarded as a social epidemic in Europe, China and the United States (T. J. Hwang, Full article here)
During the pandemic many Americans experienced increased depression, anxiety and feelings of disconnectedness. Along with this came a great increase of alcohol and drug use as an inferior substitute for relationships. (Robby Berman, full article here).
And more research says that due to the length of the pandemic, isolation habits increased as well, and will be harder to overcome. Some studies show permanent changes not just in social habits, but also in the body. When we are lonely, mental and physical health decreases and so do parts of the brain that encourage social interactions. (Rodrigo G. Arzate-Mehia et.al. full article here).
So what do we do? We stop being lonely. It’s not rocket science. We are humans that crave connection. So start reconnecting.
Actually reach out - stop intending to do it… actually do it
Tell your friend you miss them
Invite them out for coffee or a dessert (that can seem less time invasive than an all-out meal)
Send a text
Go old school and send a card
Write a note on a face mask and leave it on their windshield under their windshield wiper
Send them a link to one of the articles in this blog and say “It’s time to get together!”
Send them a link to this blog-post
Let’s determine that the pandemic has ravaged enough of our living. Rekindle your relationships!
#braverandstrongertogether #StopTheLonely #QuitBeingLonely #ReachOutToBranchOut #LonelyIsTooLonely #PersonalIsolationLeadsToPersonalDesolation
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