{"id":254783,"date":"2021-05-20T21:22:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-20T18:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/how-to-conquer-loneliness-and-social-isolation\/"},"modified":"2021-05-20T21:22:00","modified_gmt":"2021-05-20T18:22:00","slug":"how-to-conquer-loneliness-and-social-isolation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-conquer-loneliness-and-social-isolation\/","title":{"rendered":"#\n  How to conquer loneliness and social isolation"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af9fe4145fd5\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af9fe4145fd5\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-conquer-loneliness-and-social-isolation\/#Morey_Stettner\" >Morey Stettner<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#<br \/>\n  How to conquer loneliness and <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social<\/a> isolation<br \/>\n<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"article__subhead\" itemprop=\"alternativeHeadline\">\n<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"column column--full article__content\">\n<div class=\"article__side\">\n<div class=\"container--sticky not-active\">\n<div id=\"cx-next\">\n              <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"js-article__body\" class=\"article__body article-wrap at16-col16 barrons-article-wrap\" itemprop=\"articleBody\" data-sbid=\"WP-MKTW-0000277606\">\n<div class=\"barrons-article-ad-wrapper\">\n<div data-track=\"barrons-article-ad-wrap\" class=\"barrons-article-ad sticky_item\">\n<div class=\"barrons-main-article-ad-target sticky_target body_ad\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>       Over the last year, we isolated from each other to avoid a potentially deadly virus. Sadly, however, many older people had plenty of practice with social isolation well before COVID-19 entered the lexicon.<\/p>\n<p> As we age, loneliness is a risk factor for physical and mental decline. Living alone with little external stimulation can lead you to forgo physical activity.<\/p>\n<div class=\"paywall\">\n       Add anxiety and depression to the mix and you\u2019re looking at the possibility of a shorter lifespan. Not to rub it in, but loneliness is associated with a 40% increased risk of dementia, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6239757\/\" class=\"icon none\">according to a 2018 study<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPrevention needs to be the mantra,\u201d said Marc Agronin, a geriatric psychiatrist at Miami Jewish Health in Miami. Taking proactive steps to combat loneliness engages the brain and raises the odds that you\u2019ll tend to your personal needs\u2014from maintaining good hygiene to taking your prescribed medications as directed.<\/p>\n<p>Read: Your 401(k) balances aren\u2019t all yours<\/p>\n<p>It takes courage to admit, \u201cI\u2019m lonely.\u201d But that\u2019s a first step in developing lifestyle habits to address the problem and fix it.<\/p>\n<p>For starters, devise a plan to resist the pull of isolation. Realize that if you don\u2019t do anything\u2014if you wait around for others to contact you\u2014you\u2019re likely to perpetuate the status quo.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIdentify pathways to make new friendships,\u201d said James Falvey, executive director of the Minneapolis chapter of Little Brothers\u2014Friends of the Elderly, a nonprofit group that pairs volunteers with lonely seniors. Those pathways can include participating in community- or faith-based activities. Attending events at your local library or public input sessions at city council meetings may not come naturally to you, but they provide a chance to mingle and meet people.<\/p>\n<p>What if your health keeps you mostly housebound? Get creative in implementing what Falvey calls your \u201csocial engagement strategy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read: This is the most common fear among retirees<\/p>\n<div id=\"cx-membership-tile\"><\/div>\n<p>Simply reaching out to people living nearby can pay off. In 2017, an elderly woman in Missouri <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonville.com\/news\/national\/2017-08-30\/what-happened-when-lonely-90-year-old-wrote-letter-stranger\" class=\"icon none\">wrote a letter to a 37-year-old neighbo<\/a>r whom she had never met.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWould you consider to become my friend,\u201d it began. \u201cI\u2019m 90 years old, live alone and all my friends have passed away. I am so lonesome and scared. Please, I pray for someone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Eyes tearing up, the neighbor noticed from the address that the writer lived across the street and a few doors down. The next day, she and a friend brought over cookies. They wound up talking for about an hour.<\/p>\n<p>When the woman moved into a nursing home a few months later, the neighbor visited frequently.<\/p>\n<p>Years of loneliness can prove exhausting, especially if you\u2019re also dealing with chronic illness or injury. Researching social services agencies and other local resources is daunting if you\u2019re struggling just to get through each day.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe lose some of our strength as we age,\u201d Falvey said. \u201cNot just physical strength, but emotional strength. There can be a retraction in self-esteem.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For example, he has met once-fiery seniors with a history of championing LGBTQ rights. But as they became older and lonelier, they lost their confidence and retreated into a shell.<\/p>\n<p>Read: I was offered a buyout at work \u2014 should I take it?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve had conversations with people who went back into the closet as they got older,\u201d he said. \u201cThey didn\u2019t tell their neighbors or nursing home staff.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For those who struggle with loneliness, cultivating friendships might seem fraught. Perhaps you fear coming across as too needy. Or you figure that you have little to offer, given that you no longer get many chances to exercise your social muscles. It\u2019s tempting to assume your conversational skills have atrophied, so you\u2019re consumed with feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why small talk plays such a big role. Casual chatting with retail clerks and home delivery drivers has value in itself. Joining a gym\u2014even if you barely work out\u2014provides a setting to see familiar faces and talk about fitness. Spending time at your community center\u2014even if you volunteer for just an hour a week\u2014can lead to chance encounters with neighbors that blossom into friendships.<\/p>\n<p>When calling friends and acquaintances, activate your curiosity so that you ask questions and show interest in them. They\u2019re more likely to reciprocate and get closer to you if they <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>reciate your attentiveness and willingness to listen without judgment.<\/p>\n<p>If you see a therapist, you may be told (gently or not so gently) that you contribute to your loneliness by your attitude or treatment of others. If you cling to grievances and make lots of declarative statements (\u201cI have no use for those people\u201d), you dig yourself into a deeper hole.<\/p>\n<p>Author of \u201cThe End of Old Age,\u201d Agronin cites a patient who had a blowout argument with family members. It left scars that did not heal.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe said he was never going to talk with them again,\u201d Agronin recalled. \u201cBut his brain needed that interaction badly,\u201d so cutting himself off from them was an act of self-harm.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen you get in heated arguments with others, try to hear and understand their point of view,\u201d he said. \u201cThat doesn\u2019t mean you have to agree with it. Just making the effort\u201d helps prevent loneliness.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Readers: What are some ways to conquer loneliness and social isolation? Add your suggestions in the comments below.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"byline article__byline\">\n<p>      <span>By<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"author  hasMenu\" data-scrim='{\"type\":\"author\",\"header\":\"Morey Stettner\",\"subhead\":\"The Wall Street Journal\",\"list\":[]}' itemscope itemprop=\"author\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Person\">\n<h4 itemprop=\"name\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Morey_Stettner\"><\/span>Morey Stettner<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.marketwatch.com\/news\/story.asp?guid=%7B20C05575-04D4-B545-743C-66AEB6722C51%7D&#038;siteid=rss&#038;rss=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;# How to conquer loneliness and social isolation &#8221; Over the last year, we isolated from each other to avoid a potentially deadly virus. Sadly, however, many older people had plenty of practice with social isolation well before COVID-19 entered the lexicon. As we age, loneliness is a risk factor for physical and mental decline&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":254784,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-254783","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254783","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=254783"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254783\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/254784"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=254783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=254783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=254783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}