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Connected: Social Health & the

Epidemic of Loneliness. Presented by Kathy Thomson

Registration REQUIRED for this 3-week course.

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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. 

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