This week (13-17 June) is Loneliness Awareness Week, and Warwickshire County Council is encouraging people to take this opportunity to make connections with others.
Loneliness can be experienced by anyone, whatever their age or circumstances. Within Warwickshire, 6.9% of adults reported feeling lonely often or always – this equates to around 40,000 people across the county. Loneliness can have a significant impact on health – it increases the risks of high blood pressure, coronary heart disease and stroke. It is also a risk factor for developing depression later in life.
The council has created an animation to show the small ways that people can make a difference to someone who is experiencing loneliness. Making a connection with someone via a letter, a text message, a phone call or meeting them face-to-face can have a positive effect that lasts.
For those experiencing loneliness, there is advice and support available. Here are some tips for how to start making connections with others:
- Be open to new connections wherever they may be
- Join a new hobby or interest group and learn a new skill
- Reach out to old friends and reconnect
- Chat with friends and family via social media or video calls
- Recognise feelings of loneliness and ask for help
Cllr Margaret Bell, Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Health, said:
“Loneliness is more than just being alone – it is possible to feel lonely even if you don’t look it from the outside. It is known that certain life events can trigger feelings of loneliness, such as moving home, developing a health condition, or experiencing bereavement.
“Quite often, it only takes something small to reverse the pattern and start to eliminate those feelings of loneliness. Throughout this week, why not reach out to a few friends or relatives you’ve not spoken to recently. The contact won’t just be good for them – you will benefit from it as well.”
Loneliness Awareness Week is a national campaign from Marmalade Trust to make people more aware of how being lonely can affect people. Find out more at on the Marmalade Trust website.
For support and advice in Warwickshire visit the county council's loneliness and social isolation webpages.