Loneliness is an often overlooked and underappreciated challenge of life. According to research done at Brigham Young University, the impact that loneliness has on mortality is equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day or to being an alcoholic!
Prior to the pandemic, Cigna found that 61% of Americans reported feeling lonely. The quarantine and isolation of COVID-19 have made loneliness a more frequent and common experience for many. Feeling lonely often creates a cycle in which the lonelier we feel, the less likely we are to reach out to others. Loneliness also doesn’t require being alone. The stress and conflict within households, families, or teams can lead to feelings of isolation.
There is no one size fits all approach, and loneliness is experienced differently by each person. Here are 5 effective ways to deal with feeling lonely curing COVID:
- Volunteer. Find a cause that you feel passionate about. Join virtual groups that are working towards the same goal.
- Get outside. Even if you’re hiking or jogging solo, seeing other people, animals and witnessing nature can still make you feel connected.
- Exercise. Find a live or on-demand class that you enjoy. Synchronized movement with others creates a surprising sense of connection. Hint: They don’t have to know you’re there, so keep your camera off or do the on-demand version if that’s more comfortable for you.
- Meditate. Practicing mindfulness through meditation and yoga have been studied and found to increase feelings of acceptance, in addition to improving social-relationship functioning and many other benefits.
- Limit scroll time. Abstaining completely from social media hasn’t necessarily been shown to improve life satisfaction or affect loneliness. However, excessive use has been linked to mental health issues. Limiting your time on these sites will give you more time to do other things and decrease the likelihood of experiencing the negative effects.
If you’re looking to join an active community centered around mental and physical wellness, check out our Fitness Classes at Avid Sports Medicine. You’ll feel welcomed, supported, and challenged in our live and on-demand classes. Is your virtual work team feeling disconnected? Use the group classes and experiences in our Employee Wellness Solutions for team building and morale-boosting activities.
If you’re interested in incorporating overall wellness into your team culture, set up a meeting with me directly here.