BY PEARL NASH
Persistent physical symptoms resembling cold or flu, along with heightened self-focus due to loneliness, can be linked to underlying medical or mental health issues like addiction, depression, and chronic diseases, potentially increasing the risk of severe health problems such as depression, anxiety, stroke, and heart disease, requiring a consultation with a healthcare professional if they persist.
Loneliness can disrupt sleep quality, leading to daytime fatigue and reduced focus, with studies showing increased nighttime micro-awakenings, potentially contributing to health problems like type 2 diabetes and high stress hormone levels, particularly among chronically lonely individuals, suggesting that poor sleep quality may worsen these effects over time.
Forming strong attachments to material possessions as a substitute for social connections can exacerbate loneliness, leading to a cycle of excessive shopping and debt, while studies suggest that experiences, like vacations, offer a more fulfilling alternative to accumulating stuff.
Reducing social media usage, as suggested by this study, can alleviate feelings of loneliness and depression, with a recommended goal of limiting daily usage to 30 minutes, despite the challenge posed by the engaging design of social platforms that currently see most adults spending an average of two hours daily on them.
Reducing social media usage, as suggested by this study, can alleviate feelings of loneliness and depression, with a recommended goal of limiting daily usage to 30 minutes, despite the challenge posed by the engaging design of social platforms that currently see most adults spending an average of two hours daily on them.