Alone and Lonely Are Different
One is a choice. The other is a health risk.
Solitude can be restorative: time to read, think, create, and recharge. Loneliness is different. It is the painful gap between the social connection you want and what you have. Research shows that chronic loneliness carries health risks comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. The solution is not to fill every hour with people. It is to ensure you have meaningful connection regularly: a weekly phone call, a monthly lunch, a class, a faith community. Quality over quantity.
From Grace
There is a big difference between enjoying your own company and feeling lonely. If loneliness is creeping in, let us talk about small steps that help.