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Image for event: Connected: Social Health & the

Registration now closed

Connected: Social Health & the

Epidemic of Loneliness. Presented by Kathy Thomson

2025-01-23 18:00:00 2025-01-23 19:00:00 America/New_York Connected: Social Health & the Cape May Court House - Presentation Room

Thursday, January 23
6:00pm - 7:00pm

Add to Calendar 2025-01-23 18:00:00 2025-01-23 19:00:00 America/New_York Connected: Social Health & the Registration REQUIRED for this 3-week course. Cape May Court House - Presentation Room

Cape May Court House

Presentation Room

Registration REQUIRED for this 3-week course.

All events are tentatively scheduled and may change. Please see the CMCL Events Calendar on our website, follow us on social media, and subscribe to our weekly eNewsletter for any and all updates.


Connected: How Social Health can heal the epidemic of loneliness and improve our well being

On May 3, 2023, United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a new Surgeon General Advisory calling attention to the public health crisis of loneliness, isolation, and lack of connection in our country. Even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately half of U.S. adults reported experiencing measurable levels of loneliness. Disconnection fundamentally affects our mental, physical, and societal health. In fact, loneliness and isolation increase the risk for individuals to develop mental health challenges in their lives, and lacking connection can increase the risk for premature death to levels comparable to smoking daily. We can create stronger social ties to combat this epidemic.

Week One (Thurs. 1/16): What is loneliness, and how does it affect our physical, emotional and mental health?  We will explore the epidemic of loneliness in the US and the impact COVID 19 had on our culture.  We will start discussing  the importance of building connections and begin to strategize a personal plan to create them.

Week Two (Thurs. 1/23): Responding to loneliness with mindful self-compassion. When you feel socially disconnected, you often feel unknown. Loneliness can cloud your understanding of who you are, your values, strengths, what makes you happy and feel connected. One of the first steps in responding to loneliness is to understand who you are.  Learning to be a friend to yourself is a critical step in reconnecting both with yourself and others. We will discuss the personal plan created  last week and add some new challenges for the upcoming week.

Week Three (Thurs. 1/30): How combining gratitude with service can create social connections and reduce feelings of loneliness. Research has shown that creating a gratitude practice can strengthen your immune system, lower your blood pressure, help you sleep, improve your mood and your response to chronic pain.  Showing gratitude through service to others creates connection and reduces loneliness in people who practice it.  We will finish off the workshop with an individual commitment to a long term plan for social health.

 

Kathy Thomson holds a Masters degree in Sociology from Rutgers University and has college teaching experience as well as training in intercultural competence. In 2019 she attended the MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) Foundation class at University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Program for Mindfulness and in 2021 completed the Practicum at Jefferson University’s Myrna Brind Center for Mindfulness to be an MBSR teacher. Kathy is also a certified Disaster and Recovery Crisis Counselor and provided counseling and workshops on wellness and self-care to groups of people who were impacted by the pandemic. 


Please review our Adult Events Attendance Policy.

Have feedback? We'd love to hear from you! Fill out our online feedback form here!

AGE GROUP: | 18 or older |

EVENT TYPE: | Education |

TAGS: | wellness | support | mindfulness | mental health | community |

Cape May Court House

Phone: 609-463-6350

Hours

Cape May Court House

Mon, Feb 03 8:30AM to 9:00PM
Tue, Feb 04 8:30AM to 9:00PM
Wed, Feb 05 8:30AM to 9:00PM
Thu, Feb 06 8:30AM to 9:00PM
Fri, Feb 07 8:30AM to 4:30PM
Sat, Feb 08 9:00AM to 4:30PM
Sun, Feb 09 1:00PM to 5:00PM

Upcoming events

Fri, Feb 07, 9:15am - 10:15am
Wildwood Crest - 2nd Floor Events Room

Fri, Feb 07, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Cape May City - Multi-Purpose Room

Fri, Feb 07, 10:00am - 11:00am
Sea Isle City - Public Meeting Room

Fri, Feb 07, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Wildwood Crest - 2nd Floor Events Room

Fri, Feb 07, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Sea Isle City - Public Meeting Room
Registration is now closed

Fri, Feb 07, 1:30pm - 2:30pm
Lower Township - Public Meeting Room

Fri, Feb 07, 1:30pm - 3:30pm
Cape May City - Events Room North,Events Room South
Please contact the library to register for this event.

Fri, Feb 07, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Cape May Court House - Teen Area

Fri, Feb 07, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Cape May Court House - 2nd Floor Meeting Room

Sat, Feb 08, 9:30am - 10:30am
Lower Township - Public Meeting Room

Sat, Feb 08, 10:00am - 3:00pm
Sea Isle City - Children's Room

Sat, Feb 08, 10:00am - 10:30am
Lower Township - Joseph Millman Room

Sat, Feb 08, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Sea Isle City - Public Meeting Room

Sat, Feb 08, 12:00pm - 2:00pm
Sea Isle City - Conference Room

Sat, Feb 08, 1:30pm - 3:30pm
Lower Township - Joseph Millman Room

Mon, Feb 10, 9:30am - 10:30am
Cape May City - Multi-Purpose Room
This event is full

Mon, Feb 10, 10:00am - 10:30am
Lower Township - Joseph Millman Room

Mon, Feb 10, 10:30am - 1:30pm
Sea Isle City - Conference Room

Mon, Feb 10, 10:30am - 12:00pm
Cape May City - Events Room North,Events Room South

Mon, Feb 10, 11:00am - 1:00pm
Lower Township - Public Meeting Room

Mon, Feb 10, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Cape May City - Multi-Purpose Room
This event is full

Mon, Feb 10, 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Cape May Court House - Teen Area

Mon, Feb 10, 3:30pm - 4:30pm
Cape May City - Events Room North,Events Room South

Mon, Feb 10, 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Upper Township - Events Room

Mon, Feb 10, 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Wildwood Crest - 2nd Floor Events Room

Mon, Feb 10, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Lower Township - Public Meeting Room

Cancelled
Mon, Feb 10, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
New venue Cape May Court House - TLC Makerspace

Mon, Feb 10, 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Sea Isle City - Public Meeting Room

Tue, Feb 11, 9:30am - 10:30am
Cape May City - Events Room North,Events Room South

Tue, Feb 11, 10:00am - 11:00am
Sea Isle City - Public Meeting Room

Tue, Feb 11, 10:00am - 10:45am
Upper Township - Events Room

Tue, Feb 11, 10:00am - 10:30am
Stone Harbor - Events Room

Cancelled
Tue, Feb 11, 1:00pm - 2:30pm
Sea Isle City

Tue, Feb 11, 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Cape May Court House - Storytime Room

Tue, Feb 11, 2:30pm - 4:00pm
Woodbine - Events Room

Tue, Feb 11, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Cape May Court House - Teen Area

Tue, Feb 11, 3:00pm - 4:30pm
Cape May City - Events Room North,Events Room South

Tue, Feb 11, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Cape May City - Multi-Purpose Room
Registration is now closed

Tue, Feb 11, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Cape May Court House

Tue, Feb 11, 5:00pm - 6:30pm
Cape May City - Events Room North,Events Room South

Tue, Feb 11, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Cape May Court House - Storytime Room

Tue, Feb 11, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Cape May Court House - TLC Makerspace

Wed, Feb 12, 9:15am - 10:15am
Wildwood Crest - 2nd Floor Events Room

Wed, Feb 12, 9:15am - 10:15am
Upper Township - Events Room

Wed, Feb 12, 10:00am - 10:30am
Sea Isle City - Children's Room

Wed, Feb 12, 10:00am - 11:00am
Stone Harbor - Events Room

Wed, Feb 12, 10:00am - 11:00am
Lower Township - Public Meeting Room

Wed, Feb 12, 10:30am - 11:30am
Cape May City - Events Room North,Events Room South

Wed, Feb 12, 11:30am - 12:30pm
Lower Township - Public Meeting Room

Wed, Feb 12, 1:00pm - 2:30pm
Stone Harbor - Kitchen Area
This event is full

Wed, Feb 12, 1:00pm - 2:30pm
Cape May City - Events Room North,Events Room South
Registration is now closed

Wed, Feb 12, 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Cape May Court House - Teen Area

Wed, Feb 12, 3:30pm - 4:30pm
CMCL Online - Zoom

Wed, Feb 12, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Lower Township - Joseph Millman Room

Wed, Feb 12, 5:00pm - 7:30pm
Lower Township - Public Meeting Room
This event is full

Wed, Feb 12, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Sea Isle City - Public Meeting Room

Wed, Feb 12, 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Cape May Court House - Teen Area

Wed, Feb 12, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Wildwood Crest - 2nd Floor Events Room

Thu, Feb 13, 10:00am - 10:30am
Wildwood Crest - 2nd Floor Events Room

Thu, Feb 13, 10:00am - 10:45am
Cape May Court House - Storytime Room

Thu, Feb 13, 10:00am - 11:00am
Woodbine - Children's Room,Events Room

Thu, Feb 13, 10:00am - 11:30am
Sea Isle City - Public Meeting Room

Thu, Feb 13, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Lower Township - Public Meeting Room

Thu, Feb 13, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Cape May City - Multi-Purpose Room

Thu, Feb 13, 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Lower Township - Public Meeting Room

Thu, Feb 13, 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Cape May City - Events Room North,Events Room South

Thu, Feb 13, 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Cape May Court House - Teen Area

Thu, Feb 13, 3:00pm - 4:30pm
Stone Harbor - Events Room

Thu, Feb 13, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Cape May Court House - Storytime Room

Thu, Feb 13, 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Upper Township - Events Room

Thu, Feb 13, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Cape May Court House - Presentation Room
This event is full

Thu, Feb 13, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Cape May Court House - TLC Makerspace

Thu, Feb 13, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Lower Township - Public Meeting Room

Thu, Feb 13, 6:00pm - 8:30pm
Cape May Court House - Storytime Room

Fri, Feb 14, 9:15am - 10:15am
Wildwood Crest - 2nd Floor Events Room

Fri, Feb 14, 10:00am - 11:00am
Lower Township - Public Meeting Room

Fri, Feb 14, 10:00am - 11:00am
Sea Isle City - Public Meeting Room

Fri, Feb 14, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Cape May City - Events Room North,Events Room South

Fri, Feb 14, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Cape May Court House - Storytime Room

Fri, Feb 14, 1:00pm - 3:30pm
Stone Harbor - Events Room

Fri, Feb 14, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Wildwood Crest - 2nd Floor Events Room

Fri, Feb 14, 1:30pm - 3:30pm
Cape May City - Events Room North,Events Room South
Please contact the library to register for this event.

Fri, Feb 14, 1:30pm - 2:30pm
Lower Township - Public Meeting Room

Fri, Feb 14, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Cape May Court House - Teen Area