According to the most recent statistics, loneliness is at epidemic levels in the United States, with 46% of adults saying they sometimes or always feel lonely. Research has linked maintaining strong and healthy social connections to a 50% reduced risk of early death. Similarly, emotional loneliness is linked to an increased risk of all-cause mortality. Loneliness is a bigger problem than you might think. Researchers from Copenhagen University confirmed just how detrimental it can be, in a recent study.
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The year-long study included 13,443 people who had suffered from a heart attack. After analyzing health outcomes for each patient, researchers found that women who described themselves as lonely were three times more likely to die in the year following their heart attack, compared to those who had an active social life. The study also showed that men who had suffered a heart attack and were lonely were twice as likely to die within a year after the heart attack, and men and women who were lonely were three times more likely to be depressed and anxious, and experience a lower quality of life.
Loneliness can have a profound impact on health. Additional studies have shown that people who are lonely are also more likely to experience increased inflammation, reduced immune function and poor sleep.
Historically, mankind has survived by banding together and working as a group. The Internet and social media may seem like they’re providing you with a community, but it’s not a proper replacement, as humans were not designed to relate to each other without face-to-face interactions
When feeling disconnected from community, anxiety and depression arise. If you struggle with loneliness, you’re certainly not alone. Strategies that may help combat loneliness and the serious toll it can take on your health include:
• Joining a club
• Learning a new skill
• Creating rituals of connection
• Taking a break from social media
• Making good use of digital media to connect with others
• Exercising with others
• Volunteering
• Adopting a companion pet
• Changing jobs or making another life change