Loneliness

     On October 15th, 2020, famous Canadian singer/song-writer Justin Bieber released his new hit single “Lonely”. His new single not only gives his listeners the opportunity to understand his journey through the music industry, but also emphasizes a universally felt emotional and mental state known as loneliness. Bieber highlights that although he may appear to ‘have it all’, he too struggles like everyone else with feelings of loneliness. If anything, that is the key point that should be taken from this piece: No matter who you are, where you are, how you live your life or who you surround yourself with, everybody is susceptible to feeling lonely. 

The global pandemic has catapulted societal understanding around the negative impact of loneliness. We have learned that loneliness does not discriminate and that it can kill.  COVID-19 has created significant barriers for friends, family and loved ones from engaging with one another. After 9+ months of social distance guidelines and intermittent lockdowns, individuals are increasingly struggling as a result of limited interactions. Just as Bieber describes in his song, we are lonely.   

As a 19 year old girl attending university far away from home, it is natural to experience bouts of loneliness. However, COVID-19 has pushed these feelings into new and unfamiliar territory. Like Beiber, some days I just feel lonely.  While the tendency for my age group is to think about all the ways the pandemic has affected us, I can’t stop thinking about the impact it must be having on other age groups. It is through passionate conversations with my Mom that my attention quickly switched to the senior community. Entering the later stages of life can be a scary journey under normal circumstances. Oh my,  COVID-19 must be so difficult for this group. Not only is their health at greater risk should this virus cross their paths, but restricted social  interactions can be a death sentence for some.  We must stay connected and support each other during times like this. We must reach out and make greater, conscious effort to help those who are most vulnerable.The tiniest, simplest effort on your part may make a world of difference to someone who has no one else.

I realize that this may sound like an “easier said than done” situation, but truthfully it does not take much effort at all. There are a plethora of movements, organizations and websites that provide opportunities to get involved and tips for helping each other through these strange times. To better understand just how easy it is to make a difference, I spoke with Pete Bombaci, Founder  and Chief Connection Officer of The GenWell  Project. The GenWell project is a human connection movement whose mission is to make the world a happier place by inspiring people to take action, reach out and continue to build their social connections. Pete explained that sometimes people fail to stay connected, not because they don’t want to, but because they struggle in finding ways to do so. In addition, he provided some tips regarding ways to stay connected during the upcoming holiday season, acknowledging how different it will need to be this year. Here are his tips: 

• Plan ahead: The pandemic will make it very difficult to visit family and engage in regular holiday traditions. However, through planning and creative thinking, there are other ways to continue family holiday traditions. For example, why not schedule regular calls with loved ones while also choosing a date for a big family Zoom holiday celebration?  

• Write/send cards: Although putting pen to paper and envelopes in mailboxes may feel antiquated, who doesn’t love receiving personalized cards in the mail - especially during the holidays? Your modest effort here can bring immense joy to your loved ones during these times.  

• Play Virtual Games: Technology can be your friend. Why not connect with someone virtually over a game of Cribbage, Bridge, Euchre etc. Why not plan a weekly gathering where you and your friends or loved ones share a drink, hop online and play a ‘COVID-19-friendly game? My personal goal is to teach my grandfather how to play online cribbage.

• Walk and talk: To boost physical health while supporting emotional health, why not walk and talk? Physically distanced walks with friends and family are a great way to connect. If that isn’t possible, why not walk while you talk to someone on the phone?  Whatever your approach may be, staying connected to your loved ones while embracing the outdoors will make these difficult times more enjoyable and healthier. 

• Don’t assume people have someone to talk to: If you are an individual that has someone (or multiple people) to talk to, you are lucky. But not everyone has that. Make the effort to reach out to others and become that person that someone in need can lean on. The GenWell project highlights the importance and simplicity of this with their “Just One More” campaign,  They encourage everyone to think of that one extra person, group or team that they can reach out to. Yes, I am plagiarizing from Nike here - Just Do It!

As we heard through Justin Bieber’s song, none of us are immune to loneliness. Additionally, nobody knows exactly how to deal with the new, intense feelings this pandemic has brought with it. What we do know is that we must collectively strive to support each other and actively promote connections. Please visit Genwell’s website to explore ways to maintain connections with others. And remember, it is through those connections, both big and small interactions, that we can heal each other. 

https://genwellproject.org/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQOO2xGQ1Pc

In addition, here are some following tips regarding staying connected from The GenWell Project: 

Here’s to staying positive and testing negative! 

Until next time, 

Hayley