by Julie Burrell | August 21, 2024
Editor’s Note: This is the first of two posts that will explore the loneliness epidemic and practical ways HR can help combat it in the workplace.
Loneliness can be as bad for you as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, according to a Surgeon General’s report from last year.
The report identifies loneliness as a national epidemic experienced by about one in two adults. Loneliness is “associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death.” That means human connection is as necessary for your long-term survival as food and water.
Feeling isolated can also decrease general well-being. People who say they’re lonely are more likely to experience sadness, worry, stress, anger and physical pain, according to a recent Gallup poll. Their research shows that over one in five people globally feel lonely “a lot.”
When Loneliness Is Worrisome
Of course, we have all felt lonely sometimes, when changing jobs, getting a divorce, moving to a new city, or recovering from an illness. But when does a temporary feeling of loneliness become chronic?
Chronic loneliness occurs when the feeling of isolation goes on for a long time and the inability to connect to other people is constant or prolonged. Chronic loneliness can occur even among very social people — you can still feel lonely in a crowd — and is often connected to self-doubt or low self-esteem.
Taking Away the Stigma
Feeling lonely can come with a sense of shame. However, it’s important to understand that loneliness isn’t about who you are, but about a lack of deep social connection driven by factors in our sociocultural environment.
Even though loneliness has been on rise since before COVID-19, the pandemic and recent political divisiveness have contributed to the epidemic. Social media is likely exacerbating the problem. People who report more than two hours of social media use a day are twice as likely to report feelings of isolation (versus people who use social media less than a half hour).
The good news is that loneliness can be addressed in part by deliberately strengthening engagement in our workplaces, communities and other social networks.
While workplace changes alone won’t combat political and social divisions, it’s still a key starting point for helping to decrease loneliness — especially considering how much time we spend at work. When implementing programs targeted at the loneliness epidemic, it can be best to frame your efforts as a positive: increasing social connection.
One Small First Step
Efforts to boost connection may help increase employees’ job satisfaction. The Surgeon General’s report stresses that “supportive and inclusive relationships at work are associated with employee job satisfaction, creativity, competence, and better job performance.” Connection at work prevents stress and burnout and can even be linked to fewer missed days of work after injury or illness.
In the next post in this two-part series, we’ll focus on concrete steps that higher ed HR can take to combat loneliness at work, including for hybrid and remote employees.
But you can take a meaningful first step by making a small personal change, such as tracking how much time you spend on social media, practicing short mindfulness sessions, or scheduling one phone-free lunch per month with a work friend. Even a positive interaction with a colleague you don’t know well, a barista or cashier, or someone in line with you at the coffee shop can have lasting mental health benefits by expanding your “relational diversity” — the variety of relationship categories you have daily.
