E. 25 - What is Loneliness?

That's So Deep

Hello So Deep Peeps!

Welcome to That’s So Deep. This is the podcast where we try to root out loneliness one conversation at a time. Today we are talking about Loneliness: What Is It? How Does It Feel? And What Can I Do About It?

Some deep things we cover:

1. What is Loneliness? Mental health professionals define it as the gap between the level of connectedness that you want and what you have. It turns out that loneliness is incredibly subjective.
2. Loneliness is a Distress Signal: Just like hunger tells us we need food and thirst tells us we need water, loneliness tells us we need connection.
3. We Often Don’t Recognize That We Are Lonely: Loneliness is tricky to identify because we have these “weapons of mass distraction” called phones that help us numb out our need for connection.
4. Work Centered Lives vs. People Centered Lives: Our world does not put people first. It puts work first and we are lonelier and sicker than ever. What would our world look like if we truly put people first?
5. Tend and Befriend Instinct: It turns out that in times of distress, people often help one another. Helping others is a great way to cure a lonely heart.

Take-aways:

1. Loneliness is Often Masked by Overwhelm, Boredom or Feeling Unsettled: If you’re scrolling through your phone aimlessly, chances are, you might be lonely. What can you do to feel more connected? What kind of connection are you wanting and how can you achieve that?
2. Lend a Hand When You’re Lonely: Find ways to volunteer or help out a friend when you’re feeling lonely. It turns out that helping someone else feel like they matter helps you feel like you matter.
3. Find Common Ground: If you struggle to find ways to connect with your loved ones, lean hard into the things that you do connect on. By leaning into the areas where you do connect, you are building the groundwork for deeper relationship.

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We love you and we can’t wait for our next deep conversation!

Yours in Becoming,

Phyllis & Julie

Resources and articles we referenced in the episode:

1. How to Know You're Lonely - How to Build a Happy Life | Podcast on Spotify
2. How loneliness is damaging our health
3. Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World - by Murthy MD, Vivek H