Everywhere I go, I hear about how lonely and disconnected people are.

I'm bombarded with phrases like the loneliness epidemic, and it creates concern for me,

because as a psychologist, I understand the importance of community.

So today, I'm going to talk about what loneliness really is, how it can impact your mental

health, and a few tips on how to combat it.

Welcome back to savvy psychologist.

I'm your host, Dr. Monica Johnson.

Every week on this show, I'll help you face life challenges

with evidence-based approaches, a sympathetic ear, and zero judgment. Loneliness is understood

in psychological research is a complex and multifaceted emotion. Loneliness is typically defined as the distressing experience

that occurs when a person's social relationships are perceived to be less in quantity and quality

than desired. It's important to note that loneliness is subjective. It's about how people perceive their social connections,

not necessarily the number of friends or social interactions they have.

One of the issues that I sometimes notice is that people will spend more time on social media

and investing in parasocial relationships, instead of putting those hours

towards developing or maintaining relationships in their real life.

Loneliness isn't always solely the fault of the person experiencing it.

In fact, there are often several different types of contributing factors.

For instance, there can be social factors.

Things like relocation, divorce, or the death of a loved one can lead to loneliness.

Situations like moving to a new city or school where social networks are not established

can contribute to loneliness and would be considered more of an environmental factor.

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