Loneliness is the theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week which takes place between 9th and 15th May. Levels of loneliness during the pandemic have risen at a devastating rate. This has had a significant effect on the degree of distress experienced by many due to a sense of isolation and reduced connection. Not only do we see a huge impact on mental health with increased rates of anxiety and depression, but research shows that loneliness and isolation are risk factors for coronary heart disease, stroke and other long term health conditions.
Furthermore, disconnected communities could cost the UK economy £32 billion a year according to research commissioned by an Eden Project initiative. They also link a net cost to the economy of £12 billion per year due to a loss of productivity. These figures are staggering and makes loneliness one of the UK’s biggest mental health challenges.
Although there is a higher prevalence of loneliness in our older and younger generations it can affect everyone of any age. Psychologists define ‘loneliness’ as “the discrepancy between a person’s desired and actual social relationships” and is often categorised into three types:
- Social – where people might have difficulty connecting and engaging with others possibly because of low self-esteem or a social anxiety disorder.
- Situational – which can be triggered by situations that are unfamiliar and where building relationships can feel awkward, such a moving to a new area or starting a new job. Traumatic experiences such as miscarriage, bereavement or illness can also evoke intense feelings of loneliness.
- Chronic – when feelings of loneliness persist for long periods of time and start to feel like normality, making it more difficult to change from this emotional state.
Even when many people form part of our lives and networks, we can still experience loneliness, just as we can in a long-term relationship. It is the quality of those connections that make the difference to our wellbeing.
What is going on at a neural level? As humans our need to connect with others is an innate survival instinct. Research has shown that when this is missing the brain processes the emotional pain we feel, like it would do physical pain. Knowing employees could be suffering in this way means it’s paramount to get talking about it and support staff who maybe in this situation.
But why are more of us feeling this way? Social restrictions and enforced quarantine meant we had to find remote, digital ways to connect. This certainly had benefits but also exacerbated our feelings of disconnect and isolation. Some of us have been physically surrounded by others, our flatmates, our partners and family members but the quality of these relationships are not at the level that we want- so we are feeling disconnected and alone.
Furthermore, there has been a huge organisational shift in the way we work, with many adapting to a hybrid model. We are spending more time in our homes and not getting as many opportunities to interact in person.
There is a danger here in that the more we withdraw and become isolated the harder it is to build relationships. This is because people experiencing loneliness may tune in more to possible signs of rejection, convincing themselves the situation is better to avoid in order to protect themselves. Expecting negative outcomes from social interactions can prevent us from developing new relationships which can enrich our lives and ultimately help us feel less lonely.
How can organisations support staff who are experiencing loneliness? Here we offer our suggestions:
- Pay close to attention to those who live on their own as studies have shown a stronger association to mental health conditions, such as depression, when living alone.
- Be mindful of staff who have caring responsibilities as not only might those they are caring for feel lonely but they themselves may feel alone and unable to express the isolation they feel.
- Promote a culture where it is acceptable to talk about loneliness. Put up posters in a staff room that offer details of peer support organisations or local community groups to get involved with.
- Encourage self-care, mindfulness, getting out in nature; all positive approaches that will build self-esteem and emotional resilience.
- Some people find that spending time with animals helps reduce loneliness. Find out if there are any local outdoor community projects where your teams could volunteer for a day.
We can all play a part in starting to reduce the loneliness felt by large parts of our communities. Everyone benefits if we can move more people to a position where being alone is a positive time for growth and reflection rather than a bleak space to fear.
Ready to take the next step? Please get in touch to have a chat about how we can help. We’d love to hear from you!