7th January - Phone a friend - Dr Caroline Gibson

Phone a friend…

Or a relative, or a loved one. In a pre-covid world I would have said go and connect with somebody in person, but currently that will have to wait for a while.

A Harvard study that followed people for 75years showed that the most important predictor of both happiness and longevity is having social connections. This may be because we are evolved to be social tribe animals, and being alone triggers a threat response in our physiological system, setting off a cascade of stress and inflammatory response, which, over time, leads to ill health, both physical and mental.

So what? Social connections do matter, and we can all feel that more than ever at the moment during lockdown. Put yourself in control, reach out and connect in the ways that we can – ideally in a way that we can hear and see the other person, rather than just by typing messages into social media.

Although with all the remote working at present, I am somewhat sick of endless zoom and teams meetings. So instead, I think I’ll go old-school, and just pick up the phone. I remember spending hours sat in the hall cupboard at home as a teenager talking to my friends (because that was as far as the phone cord stretched to give me some privacy!). I might not have to sit in a cupboard now, but I’m pretty sure I could natter on the phone for just as long.

If you are struggling with loneliness, or don’t think that you have anyone you can talk to, please know that you are not alone. Scroll down to see a list of numbers and helpful resources you can contact. There is always someone available to talk to if you need it.