The Impact of Loneliness on Our Health

By Laura Cole, MSW, SWLC

Loneliness, and what that means for your health.

Smoking kills. Apparently, so does loneliness. 

Recent studies found many adults aged 50, or older are socially isolated and lonely, in ways that put their health at risk. 

• Social isolation significantly increased a person’s risk of premature death from all causes, a risk that may rival those of smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity.

• Social isolation was associated with about a 50% percent increased risk of dementia.

• Poor social relationships (characterized by social isolation or loneliness) were associated with a 29% increased risk of heart disease and a 32% increased risk of stroke.

• Loneliness was associated with higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide.

• Loneliness among heart failure patients was associated with a nearly 4 times increased risk of death, 68% increased risk of hospitalization, and 57% increased risk of emergency department visits. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021).

Knowing all of these alarming statistics, what can we do to combat feeling lonely? 

Oddly, if we lived in the United Kingdom, we could be “prescribed social activity” by our physicians. British doctors are “social prescribing,” which means not prescribing medications, but rather prescribing what to do with your spare time, such as bake, draw, or take up yoga. Doctors may write out a prescription for a person to take part in an activity, usually at a subsidized price, to help them meet other people and find a new purpose, or focus. (Harris, B., 2018).

So, let’s focus on what we can do now, at any age, to help reduce the feelings of loneliness. 

1. Use social media wisely. If you use social media to connect with existing friends or make new ones, the technology can help you feel less lonely. However, mindless scrolling through others’ carefully crafted posts will probably leave you feeling disconnected and dissatisfied, and studies have shown a decrease in self esteem related to excessive social media consumption can occur. 

2. Expect the best. After a bout of loneliness, people often have negative expectations of social encounters. When you enter a social situation, check in with yourself: Do you feel anxious? Are you concerned that others will reject you? Is there evidence to support the people rejecting you? If so, consider that your brain may be overreacting (catastrophizing), leading you to feel on edge, anxious and less likely to engage with others. Most people, even strangers, and open to the possibility of connection. Instead, try asking yourself if your anxiety is driving your concerns and you can even try asking someone how they are experiencing you; after all, we can be extremely hard on ourselves and think we know how others experience us, when it can differ quite a bit. 

3. Volunteer. Volunteering is a great way to shift your focus from yourself to others. It’s also a great way to make new connections, with people who share the same values as you and enjoy helping others.

4. Get warm. A fascinating line of research shows our bodily states can influence our thoughts and feelings. Being cold can increase feelings of loneliness, whereas being warm can create feelings of social warmth (Kerr, N., 2022). 

5. Join a new social group or friend making app.  Groups like "Meet Up" can get you hiking with strangers, who feel like a new friend in the short course of an hour. Friend making apps, such as Bumble BFF, Bumble Business, Linked In and Peanut (like Tinder for making mom friends) allow you to screen new friends from a distance, start chatting to see if you might like each other and plan safe meet up options in public to hang out!

6. Create support and integrate into your community. A protective factor in preventing mental relapses (depressive episode, panic attacks, etc) is to create support, teach your support system how to help you before things get bad and create a sense of community in your town. 

These are just a few ideas to create connection. The big picture is to avoid isolating, reach out to friends, family members, or a mental health professional, and remember, it might be nice to have a “prescription for social activity” (for some of us), the key to fighting loneliness is in our hands.

These are just a few ideas to create connection. The big picture is to avoid isolating, reach out to friends, family members, or a mental health professional, and remember, it might be nice to have a “prescription for social activity” (for some of us), the key to fighting loneliness is in our hands. 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, April 29). Loneliness and social isolation linked to serious health conditions. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved May 22, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/aging/publications/features/lonely-older-adults.html#:~:text=Loneliness%20is%20the%20feeling%20of,lonely%20without%20being%20socially%20isolated. 

Harris, B. (2018, February 19). Doctors in the UK are prescribing social activities to fight against loneliness. World Economic Forum. Retrieved May 23, 2022, from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/02/line-dancing-and-baking-a-prescription-for-good-health/ 

Kerr, N. (2022, April 22). 20 ways to feel less lonely and more connected. Psychology Today. Retrieved May 23, 2022, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/social-influence/202204/20-ways-feel-less-lonely-and-more-connected