Combat Loneliness — Become a Joiner
Dear Friends,
Happy Mental Health Awareness Month.
Here at Kefi Life, our team is focused on your wellness. We want to help you flourish in the mind, body and spirit to achieve Ola Kala - All is Well.
In the spirit of a healthy brain and mind, consider the most serious MENTAL HEALTH EPIDEMIC which is loneliness.
The Harvard School of Education reports that U.S. surgeon general Vivek Murthy placed a spotlight on America’s problem with loneliness when he declared the issue an epidemic in the spring of 2023.
Murthy explained, in a letter that introduced an urgent advisory, that loneliness is far more than “just a bad feeling” and represents a major public health risk for both individuals and society. Murthy also pointed out that, although many people grew lonelier during the COVID-19 pandemic, about half of American adults had already reported experiences of loneliness even before the outbreak.
As a graduate of the Institue of Integrative Nutrition, I was taught the importance and value of connecting with others. Blue Zones also endorses this phenomenon. Number 3 of the 9 principles of the BLUE ZONES is to BELONG and cultivate strong social connections and community involvement.
KEFI LIFE SAYS - BECOME A JOINER
What a simple concept, to join a club or group. Whether you are feeling alone or you just need to make meaningful connections with people, think about joining groups that align with your interests.
POSSIBLE SUGGESTIONS:
Book clubs
Garden clubs
Cooking classes
Bible study
Language clubs
Weight loss groups
Pet groups
Charity foundations
Math clubs
Chess clubs
Becoming a joiner will encourage new friendships stimulating thought and or movement. A membership or joining a group will allow you to belong and feel important.
Another suggestion to combat loneliness, is have someone who you can text or call to exchange a “good morning.”
Dr. Andrew Huberman, Ph.D, is a neuroscientist and he says the following:
“One of the most powerful things a person can do, believe it or not, is that they have someone each morning that they text good morning to. Find a friend, or someone to communicate with each morning. Just a good morning text. This simple routine is one of the most powerful gestures you can do to check in with another member of your species each morning. It doesn't have to be a conversation, merely a check in, which makes one feel a part of the tribe.”
I remind you that “We belong to each other!”
Wishing you many Ola Kala – All is Well associations on your lifelong journey to wellness.
Sending you filakia- kisses,
Kiki