Physical Implications Of Loneliness And How To Prevent It

Humans are social creatures, we need social interaction to support our mental health, emotional wellbeing, and our physical health.

It’s been shown that socialising especially in your older years is essential in preventing cognitive decline, but studies say isolation is comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day for our physical health!

Social isolation could put you at risk of premature death. It’s associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease, suffering a stroke and developing hypertension. 

It’s been shown that lonely people are more inclined to engage in unhealthy habits like smoking, drink in excess and lack of physical activity.

Social disconnection has also been linked to overall poor immune function, so loneliness can directly affect your quality of life, no matter how old you are! 

But staying social in your older age is especially important! 

Keeping social connections is the most effective way of combating loneliness, so it’s important to keep in touch with family and friends, even if it’s just a phone call!

Here are some other techniques to combat loneliness:

• Improve Your Relationship With Yourself: Even those that aren’t socially disconnected can experience loneliness as it’s often linked with low self-esteem or self-confidence. We recommend self-care, it’s more important than you might think. Have a look at this easy self-care routine and try implementing slow mornings into your daily routine. 

• Online Communities: If you’re not able to see many people face-to-face, try joining a community online like Facebook groups moderating activities you enjoy doing to foster social connections with people you have something in common with.

• Spend Time With Animals: Animals offer unconditional love that can be hard to come by. Spending time with animals can help ease stress levels which can be brought on by feelings of anxiety associated with loneliness.

Loneliness is a silent killer! We know the effects it has on the brain, but it turns out it’s not great on the ticker either. Staying social at any age is important for your overall health and wellbeing, so stay on top of your health by cherishing your social connections.