We are a nation of lonely people, and loneliness is linked to serious health problems like depression, sleep disorders and chronic pain, among others. The World Health Organization ranks loneliness as carrying a higher health risk than smoking and as great a risk as obesity (with its attendant risks of diabetes and heart disease). Isn’t that astounding?
Research also shows that friendships and social networks can lead to healthier diets, more exercise and better sleep habits; that strong social ties promote brain health as you age. Research even shows that friendships provide a greater positive impact in your life than do family ties.
So if loneliness is bad for your health, what is its cure? As a participant in Women of the ELCA, I’m quick to answer with “living in community.” Lutheran women find their friends and build social networks through Women of the ELCA. The connections we make contribute to our emotional, spiritual and physical health. We know that healthy women can produce healthy families, churches and communities, and can develop healthy, more just and more holistic societies.
So, go out there today and make a friend. You’ll be helping you and that new friend lead a healthier life.
This is adapted from “Combating loneliness,” written by Linda Post Bushkofsky that originally appeared on the Women of the ELCA blog on June 21, 2011.