Fight Loneliness by Expanding Your Circle of Concern

You never know what you might find at a rummage sale. Last year, I found a lonely soul. I was one of the vendors at a rummage sale hosted by our local community center. It was the end of the day, and I was already packing up my leftover items when Eva, a potential buyer, asked about a coffee maker I had for sale. “I live alone,” she said, “but I make six cups of coffee every morning. I drink just one or two cups, but I make more hoping someone might stop by. Never one ever does.” I sensed a sadness and loneliness in her voice. Since that incident, I read reports about a loneliness epidemic in our country and other places around the world. How could anyone feel lonely in such a connected world? We have technology for connecting people around the globe—the internet, Facebook, and instant messaging. Yet, we seem starved for relationships. The Loneliness Epidemic Loneliness is a negative experience, an absence of something we need and want—a relationship, a sense of belonging. Technology alone can never solve our belongingness need. Belonginess is found in families, friendships, and community. We can be engulfed in technology and surrounded by a crowd of people, yet still feel lonely. Loneliness and social isolation exert a heavy toll on our physical health and psychological wellbeing. People who are lonely are more at risk for high blood pressure, obesity, depression, decreased life satisfaction, and other physical and mental illnesses. While we all experience short...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Publishers Spirituality & Health loneliness epidemic Lonely Source Type: blogs