Meet my friend Dorothy: she’s a smoker and it’s ruining her health mentally and physically. So much so, that doctors know that her life is likely to be shorter as it increases her risk of death by almost a third (29%).1 She’s more likely to develop serious conditions such as heart disease, dementia and depression,2,3,4 and people stigmatise her for it. Dorothy doesn’t want to be a smoker but feels powerless to change that.
Are you surprised by Dorothy’s story? Probably not. But what if I told you to substitute ‘smoker’ for lonely?
Because, being lonely is as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and it’s worse for your wellbeing than obesity.1 Loneliness really does shorten your life and increase your risk of serious health conditions.
But unlike smoking, there is little support for loneliness and because people are lonely, they don’t have anyone to talk to. My fictional ‘friend’ Dorothy is isolated just like nine million other people in the UK experiencing loneliness.5
Charities like the Campaign to End Loneliness are trying to change that. They work hard to raise awareness of the burden of loneliness and create policy change to improve the lives of those people feeling lonely or isolated.
That’s why HAVAS JUST:: has proudly teamed up with the Campaign to End Loneliness, providing them with £50,000 worth of free communications support.
As part of our support, we’ve worked with award-winning BBC Mock The Week comedian Andy Parsons, to surprise shoppers at London’s Brent Cross shopping centre with a little challenge: To get off their phones and into real-life conversations with each other and, most importantly, to think about loneliness.
Far from the famous British stiff-upper life, secret filming captured beautiful moments, from shared sandwiches to shared anecdotes, all thanks to a little conversation and encouragement.
You can watch the Let’s Talk More video with Andy Parsons here: https://youtu.be/ZctF9ehIMIk
Please share the video with your friends – and next time you’re out and about, remember that a simple smile or hello could make a huge difference to someone’s day.
Small moments can make a big difference. Let’s Talk More.
Anyone who wants to help end loneliness can sign up to the Campaign to End Loneliness’ movement at https://bemoreus.org.uk/
References
- Holt-Lunstad J, Smith TB, Layton JB. Social relationships and mortality risk: a meta-analytic review. PLoS Med.2010;7(7).
- Valtorta N, et al. Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for coronary heart disease and stroke: Systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal observational studies. 2016 Jul 1;102(13):1009-16.
- James BD, et al. Late life social activity and cognitive decline in old age. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 17:998-1005.
- Cacioppo JT, et al. Loneliness as a specific risk factor for depressive symptoms: Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, Psychology and Aging, 2006;21(1),140-151.
- The Red Cross. Trapped in a bubble: An investigation into triggers for loneliness in the UK Report, December 2016. https://www.redcross.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/action-on-loneliness. Last accessed July 2018.