News and Tips

Dr. Ramo talks about what volunteering can do for loneliness on this week’s Healthbeat at KOAT.

Loneliness is a chronic stressor, meaning it can trigger chronic stress responses like higher cortisol, inflammation, and blood pressure. For people who have recently had a major health scare or event, loneliness or lack of support can feel even more acute.

Volunteering can help you feel more connected to your community and help you develop a sense of purpose, which can help lower your stress and improve your health! It’s also a wonderful way to give back to your own community.

You can find all sorts of volunteer opportunities at One Albuquerque Volunteer. Filter by interest, your age, accessibility, and so much more.

What is loneliness?

Loneliness is what we feel when we are not getting the level of social connection we desire. Social connection can come from friendships, support systems, family, pets, and more. It’s important to note that there is a difference between loneliness and being alone. You can be in a crowd of people and feel lonely, or you can love your “you-time” and feel just fine. Loneliness is a feeling. It’s subjective. On the other hand, social isolation is objective. Social isolation is the lack of regular social contacts.

Both can be harmful to your health, so it can be useful to identify which, or both, you may be feeling. Certain coping mechanisms may be most beneficial to addressing loneliness, while others may be more useful for social isolation.

Addressing isolation and loneliness

There are many small and large things you can do to address and help with social isolation and loneliness. Some things you can do without much planning, others will take time to take effect.

A few things you could do today include

• Going to the public library
• Introducing yourself to your neighbors
• Calling or FaceTiming friends and family
• Listen to a podcast or audiobook
• Writing down what you are grateful for
• Invite friends over for a game night or dinner
• Smiling at strangers in the grocery store
• Come to New Heart! We are always here for you.

A few things to plan or start doing

• Volunteering
• Adopt a pet or spend time at a local shelter
• Start taking a class or join a club (choir, art, tai chi, knitting, pickleball, book club). You can find groups of like-minded individuals on Facebook.
• Invest more energy in keeping up friendships
• Get your hearing and vision checked (sensory issues can make connecting in social settings harder)
• Create or access regular transportation (if you can’t drive, maybe friends can help. There are also ride share services and the SunVan in Albuquerque).

Whether you are feeling isolated or lonely, or you are worried about a friend or relative, there are support systems out there. While feeling lonely or isolated is common, it isn’t something you have to endure. The city of Albuquerque has a list of mental health resources here.