I found this article while browsing through my daily newsfeed and I was stumped for a bit.
I cant't believe that we still struggle with feelings of loneliness in this day and age when we are so in touch with each other twenty-four-seven; hooked up; smartphone at the ready; and so "connected" than we ever have been at anytime in human history.
It gave me time to pause and think about things for a minute. We spend so much time behind a screen interacting with people that maybe we're just dying to hear a human voice, actually see the wrinkles made by a human face making emotions while we talk to each other in person, or even feel what human touch is like in the form of a hug, a pat on the shoulder or a fist bump celebrating a personal win.
It seems that our villages and close-knit tribes have expanded so much more broadly and horizontally than we could have imagined; covering more global earthspace than ever. But at the cost of what nourishes our relationships with each other; at the cost of the depth and length of time spent in nurturing those once close ties we used to share when we lived in tightly knit social groups, huddled together by a fire at nightfall.
I read on a the telegraph.com.uk , that loneliness kills more than obesity right now.
We can certainly do better than this.
As a healthcare practitioner, an acupuncturist, and as a human being who sees all too often what loneliness and all the issues that come with it (depression, anxiety, insomnia etc) can do to an individual's spirit, I challenge and urge you to reach out to someone today; someone you do know and care about, or even a total stranger who may be in need of human acknowledgement. It be nice if today you could give a friend or loved one a call and meet up, or give somebody a glance of acknowledgement while passing them by on the street or subway. Let's "see" each other and make ourselves less isolated so we don't have to feel like such islands in a large, lonely sea.
Here's the link to the article. (I still havent quite figured out how to doo-hickey this hyperlink thing yet but bear with me as I learn!) May your day start well or if its almost ending, I hope it has been a productive one.