From webMD | By Nick Tate
Want to be really healthy? Find time for real connection with others. A recent study underscores an emerging public health issue: loneliness, and it rivals obesity and smoking as a health risk. People who are lonely and isolated are more likely to have cardiovascular disease, problems with their immune system and “may even have a harder time recovering from cancer.”
The keys to combatting loneliness, according to the study, include:
- Balancing sleep, work, socializing with friends, family time, and “me time” is connected to lower loneliness scores.
- People who say they sleep just the right amount have lower loneliness scores.
- People who report spending too much time with family are more likely to say that they feel as though they are part of a group of friends and they can find companionship when they need it.
- People who say they get just the right amount of exercise are less likely to be lonely.
- People who say they work just the right amount are least likely to be lonely.
To read more about the health risks of loneliness and what you can do to combat them, click here.
