What’s the Antidote for Loneliness?

More people than ever before are endorsing a sense of loneliness. Loneliness is the feeling of being sad and unhappy due to social isolation.

For many of us, our modern lifestyles are leading to a sense of disconnection. Research shows that people on average spend 11 hours a day on screens. More people than ever before live alone. According, to Dr. Bruce Perry, “In 1790, 63% of our nation’s households had five or more people; only 10% had two or fewer. In 2006, only 8% of households had five or more people; 60% had two or fewer.” In a recent survey of urban communities in the USA, Europe, and Japan, “up to 60% of all households were just one person.”

The antidote for loneliness is cultivating meaningful connection. Dr. Brené Brown says, “I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.” When we are lonely, we are lacking meaningful connection.

What are ways to cultivate connection? Try something new. Go somewhere different. Take a course or class. Join a group. Get involved in a cause. Follow your interests. Coriander Living Collective hosts Open Floor workshops and classes. Open Floor is a community building practice and works to cultivate connection to self and others. Our sense of well-being and mental health is a by-product of how socially connected we are. Come get some connection!

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What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing by Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD, and Oprah Winfrey