Experts have long been concerned about loneliness, and now social isolation has made the epidemic worse. According to a 2018 national survey by Cigna, loneliness levels have reached an all-time high, with nearly half of 20,000 US adults reporting they sometimes or always feel alone. Sadly, one of our youngest generations, Generation Z, is feeling the most significant impacts of loneliness. In an analysis conducted by The Pew Research Center, one-in-ten Americans say they feel lonely or isolated from those around them. Unsurprisingly, frequent loneliness is linked to dissatisfaction with one's family and social life. And lonely people often crave human contact, but their state of mind makes it more difficult to form connections with people. So America had a chronic loneliness problem before COVID-19. Consequently, now with social isolation, we all find ourselves experiencing the risk of feeling lonely. Indeed loneliness is a normal human experience, but feeling lonely and isolated for too long can harm our physical and mental health. A Newcastle University study linked loneliness to a 30% increase for the risk of heart disease. Another study done by the Florida State University College of Medicine says loneliness is associated with a 40% increase in the risk of dementia. Other studies have indicated that loneliness is a precursor of cognitive decline in general. As a social species, humans need a safe, secure social circle to survive and thrive. Overcoming Loneliness In Social Isolation So today's podcast is dedicated to overcoming loneliness while you are practicing social isolation along with: Identifying the effects of social isolation and loneliness on physical, mental, and cognitive health How social isolation can disrupt Circadian rhythms and cause insomnia Evidence-based interventions for combating loneliness and social isolation I hope today’s podcast can help you. You can find my new book "The Easy 5 Ingredient Cookbook" HERE and all my natural vegan CBD products from hemp on my website. Thank you to Hover for sponsoring this podcast. Head over to Hover.com/ordinaryvegan to receive 10% off your domain purchase. Also, please share this podcast so our community can grow. And if you have time, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. The more reviews we receive, the better chance of spreading the compassion. Please stay strong and stay well! Til next time.