Understanding Loneliness

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Research confirms you can be busy but still feel lonely and disconnected.

A healthy lifestyle may buffer the effects of loneliness, but not the feeling of disconnection.

Lonely, isolated women may lose 2.4 years free of physical disease; for men, the numbers are different.

Fewer but stronger connections may be better for you than a jam-packed calendar.

One of my favorite films to rewatch in moments when I need some comfort is Up. Pixar’s tale of grief, aging, connection, and adventure brings tears to my eyes every single time. Loss can bring a sense of discombobulation that can challenge who we are and how we see ourselves. Anyone who has lost a loved one knows this. But it doesn’t have to be the loss of a person that brings us to feel alone. Retirement, becoming empty nesters, or even just a changing sense of self can alter how connected we feel with the world around us. How do these changes impact our physical and mental health?

“Our language has wisely sensed these two sides of man’s being alone. It has created the word 'loneliness' to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word 'solitude' to express the glory of being alone.” ― Paul Tillich, The Eternal Now

“Our language has wisely sensed these two sides of man’s being alone. It has created the word 'loneliness' to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word 'solitude' to express the glory of being alone.” ― Paul Tillich, The Eternal Now

A study published in Nature Communications by researchers at Tulane University decided to look at exactly this. Looking at 277,489 adults aged 40 to 69 from the UK Biobank, all of whom started out free of seven major chronic conditions, they wanted to try to ascertain how feeling alone vs. social........

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