Belonging Is Way More Important To Health Than Most Realize
In the spring of 2023, “Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released an advisory illuminating the dangers of loneliness. “It is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death. The mortality impact of being socially disconnected is similar to that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day and even greater than that associated with obesity and physical inactivity,”
By Patty Housman | November 29, 2023, American University, College of Art, and Sciences News.
Do you believe that you receive messages of the same theme that you are supposed to pay attention to? This week- I have had whispers of the same theme. The importance of human connection and the cost of loneliness. Recently, a few people close to me have been experiencing loneliness and have made ill-informed decisions that could have a detrimental impact on their well-being. Both mental health and physical health. This has led me to think about the association between loneliness and poor decision-making. Is it vulnerability? Is it the loss of executive function?
My husband is a reader who reads scholarly literature. Most important is that he clips articles that he thinks might be relevant to someone. This morning, I found an article titled ” Next in Tech The Loneliness Cure” on my home office desk. It is an article reporting on startup companies that are receiving funding to create Belong Centers. The gist is that investors and entrepreneurs are the best options for solving this epidemic of loneliness. This spoke to me because Vicki Kirby and I are doing just this. We are health professional entrepreneurs who are creating the best online program to address all of the pain points of menopause including the terrible isolation that has been the path of 50 % of the population going through the most challenging time of life. I am both humbled by and obligated to create a sense of belonging through education, access, tangible results, and most importantly community.
Do you consider your sense of belonging as part of your self-care? Are you lonely? I believe that we all will experience it sometime. It is part of the human condition. Having said this, knowledge is power. Loneliness is not just a state of mind, it is a very real, overly concerning health risk. The cost of isolation is high, it benefits no one. Join a group, go to the gym, go to church, call a friend, foster your healthy friendships, or find healthy new friends. May we all find the community that helps us be our best selves.
K
