Why Isolation Might Secretly Be The Biggest Threat to Your Well-Being

The silent killer of our modern age…

Exercise, sleep, and a balanced diet are necessary components of a strong and healthy body. We see it everywhere in our lives. The shelves of our supermarkets are stacked with products labeled ‘organic’, ‘low fat’, and ‘high protein’. Our windy streets are punctuated by fitness facilities of all kinds. Healthcare professionals provide preventive and curative medicines while we consume more health supplements than ever before. All of this has resulted in a drastic increase in our life expectancy, which has doubled since 1900.

Yet despite living longer than ever, we are, according to Douglas Brook from the World Economic Forum,

‘Spending more time in poor health than at any point in history’

Better physical health and medical care have resulted in longer lives, but not necessarily healthier ones. One of the biggest threats to our well-being today is social isolation.

What Is Isolation?

The state of being isolated, to be deprived of genuine and high quality social interactions, is a silent killer. It harms us, surreptitiously, gradually eating away at our mental well-being from the moment we wake to the moment we sleep. It gnaws at our soul, slowly chipping away any remnants of humanity left within us.

As human beings we are evolved to socialize. Socialization is important at every stage of our lives. Amongst adolescents, socialization is indispensible for brain development; amongst youths, socializing forms our sense of identity; as we grow old, our social circle is our safety net and our security; at the end of life, our pals keep our minds sharp and reduce the likelihood of chronic and mental illnesses.

Why Is It Becoming an Increasing Concern?

The world is greying. A cause for concern as social depravation is most common among the aged; by 2030, 1 in 4 people will be 65 and above. A fact that becomes even more startling when one realizes this figure stood at 6% in 1990…

According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 4 seniors experience social isolation.

Seniors are at higher risk of isolation due to medical complications, limited mobility, and lesser social support structure. Seniors who are isolated live shorter lives, and are not only at greater risk of mental problems, like anxiety and depression, but chronic illnesses such as stroke and high blood pressure. Even seniors who aren’t living alone or live together with their families are often affected by this issue. Yet social isolation is an issue that only affects the older population.

According to a study by Gallup and Meta, a quarter of people aged 19–29 experience high levels of loneliness. A figure that is even higher than that for seniors!

I’ll be the first to admit that this seems counterintuitive. Don’t young people have lots of friends? Well yes, but isolation is a feeling that can exist even when you are surrounded by people. The antidote to isolation is high quality and genuine relationships, something that is sorely lacking today.

An increasingly career centric and job oriented society has pushed many young adults to dedicate copious amounts of energy and time into their work, leaving them little time for socialization.

Social media is another big reason why young adults feel more isolated than ever before. It’s funny how an app created to connect people together is doing a surprisingly good job of separating us. Social media replaces real and authentic bonds with superficial comparisons and feel-good substitutes. Through social media, we live vicariously through the lives of others, often resulting in FOMO (fear of missing out) and feeling isolated.

Whether we feel isolated in our teens, adulthood, or senior-hood, it is something we can all actively strive to work against. This beckons the questions, ‘how exactly do we do so?’

What Can We Do About It?

Touch some grass. No, but seriously, get out into the world and meet people, even if they are strangers. Make an effort to establish some new connections, or rekindle old ones. Find people who can relate to you, and who want the best for you. Positive people are contagious, and your positivity will likewise attract others to you. You will become a beacon for others, and that adoption of responsibility within a newly established or revitalized social network will keep you mentally healthy.

Find a best friend, or a partner, or both. A single close friend or partner is irreplaceable by any amount of acquaintances. He or she is your go to confidant, your most trusted companion, he or she who keeps you sane, etc. A relationship like that is commitment, on both ends. It is time, energy, and investment, but it pays dividends. Even our closest pals drift, so make an effort to stay connected. And never let yourself become too isolated, for too long.