• Posted November 24, 2024

For Some, 'Tis the Season for Loneliness. Experts Offer Tips to Stay Connected

For many, the holidays are a time when you connect with others and share time with loved ones. But for some, the holidays are a painful exercise in loneliness.

While a Northwestern Medicine study published last spring found loneliness is more prevalent in both younger and older adults, those feelings intensify around the holidays, said Eileen Graham, who co-authored that study.

And those feelings are most pronounced for the oldest.

“What was striking was how consistent the uptick in loneliness is in older adulthood,” Graham noted when the study was published. “There’s a wealth of evidence that loneliness is related to poorer health, so we wanted to better understand who is lonely and why people are becoming lonelier as they age out of midlife so we can hopefully start finding ways to mitigate it.”  

One way to ease loneliness for these folks is to invite them into your home.

“Young adults who are living in unfamiliar cities and setting up new social networks will often find ways to celebrate with Friendsgivings because they might not be coming home for the holidays,” said Graham, an associate professor of medical social sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “Others include older adults who have lost friends or spouses and, finally, people who have fewer resources.”

How else can folks deal with those heightened feelings of isolation during the holidays?

“When one feels lonely on a regular basis, depression and other difficult emotions can arise. I recommend that people try these four things,” said Michele Kerulis, an associate professor of counseling with the Family Institute at Northwestern:

• Find community: If you feel lonely, make real-life connections within your community. This might be a group fitness class, volunteering, a church service or being among friends. 

• Exercise: Working out has known physical and mental health benefits, including the release of feel-good neurotransmitters, which can provide temporary relief from unpleasant emotions. 

• Practice self-care: Paying attention to your well-being and spending time engaging in activities that help you feel well can decrease feelings of loneliness. 

• Seek counseling: A mental health counselor can help you analyze why you feel lonely and help you find long-term solutions to address that feeling. 

SOURCE: Northwestern University, news release, Nov. 20, 2024