An April 2020 study showed a third of Americans were experiencing more loneliness due to the pandemic. Another study from June of this year reported U.S. residents have considerably elevated adverse mental health conditions associated with COVID-19. Adults of all ages reported having experienced worse mental health outcomes, increased substance use, and elevated suicidal ideation.⁣
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I've been reading, writing, and talking about loneliness and belonging for more than two years, both in my book, The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other, and my podcast, Hope for the Lonely. The lessons I've learned through my research, writing, conversations with others, and personal experiences may be of use to those trying to brace themselves for potential loneliness during the holidays this year.⁣
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We need to prepare now for holiday loneliness. If we know the upcoming holiday season will be more difficult this year, what can we do to prepare? Aundi Kolber, therapist and author of Try Softer, spoke to me last year about loneliness and the holidays. She says there are things we can do now to protect ourselves from increased loneliness.⁣
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But most important, in my experience, is that we talk about our loneliness. ⁣
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Learn more about why I think this is important and other ways we can reduce our holiday loneliness during the pandemic in a piece I wrote recently.⁣

Photo by Sergiu Vălenaș on Unsplash
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*Image and words originally posted by Charlotte Donlon on Instagram.