There’s a story U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy commonly shares to illustrate the health impact of loneliness. Several years ago, one of his patients was in the food service industry and making a modest salary. After winning the lottery, the patient quit his job and bought a beautiful home in a gated community. But this big change brought him immense loneliness, as he lost contact with his former coworkers and his old neighbors, and he developed diabetes and high blood pressure. The patient said that winning the lottery was the worst thing that ever happened to him.
Murthy has declared that the U.S. has a loneliness epidemic. This is a health issue because our connections with others have a huge impact on our physical and mental wellbeing. Loneliness increases our risk for anxiety, depression, heart disease, dementia, stroke, and premature death. Murthy says loneliness can also lead to societies becoming more polarized as well as causing reduced productivity at work and school.
A new report from Health and Human Services shares how individuals can help improve their own social connections to help us combat the loneliness epidemic together.
Nurture relationships — Relationships with our family and friends don’t happen by accident. Taking time to connect with people regularly in meaningful ways can help us grow these relationships long term. Plan activities that you love with people you love, whether that’s board games, hikes, cooking parties, or movie nights. Even if you live far away from friends, you can schedule regular calls to stay in touch and learn about each other’s lives.
Minimize distractions — In our society, it can feel difficult to put aside technology and be present with people when we are together. Yet this is critical to showing other people you care about them and are listening.
Community service — Serving our communities is a great way to engage with people we might not regularly come into contact with. For example, you might read with kids at a local elementary school or volunteer at a foodbank. These activities can also help broaden our worldview and help us consider new perspectives for making our communities healthier and happier.
Participate in social groups — Find groups that help you feel a sense of belonging. Perhaps that’s a group focused on fitness, religion, professional aspirations, connecting people of similar ages, or reading books. Websites like Meetup can help you start making those connections.
Practice gratitude — Being thankful for the people in our lives is a great way to help us consciously value those relationships and want to invest more time in them. Write a brief list regularly of some of the things or people in your life that you are thankful for. This can also help you identify the relationships in your life that are the most meaningful, and focus on those.
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