
Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to Marie Claire. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
People tend to think of loneliness as an issue that impacts the elderly or people who are socially isolated, but loneliness is more complicated than that. It is a longing for genuine social connection and not an objective measure of the number of people in your contacts.
A recent survey conducted by Cigna found that nearly half of all Americans report sometimes or always feeling alone and one in four rarely or never feel as though there are people who really understand them. Only 53 percent say they spend some quality time with friends or family on a daily basis. It is noteworthy that young people—Generation Z—are lonelier than baby boomers.
The feeling of loneliness has more to do with the quality than the quantity of your relationships. Having high-quality connections and a need to belong are fundamental. For this need to be fully satisfied, you must have a few close people in your life whom, one, you have frequent positive interactions with, and, two, who care deeply about you and who you deeply care about within an ongoing, enduring, and stable bond. Being around lots of people you don’t connect with or not spending enough time with those you are close to can leave you feeling pretty lonely.
While social media is not to blame for loneliness, people who have daily face-to-face interactions with friends and family are less likely to feel socially disconnected. Getting enough sleep is also important. The sleep-deprived are more likely to feel alone and less inclined to engage with others.
Belongingness is a need, not a want. Find a group of friends with whom you feel like you belong and make them a priority.
This story originally appeared in the May 2019 issue of Marie Claire.
MORE FROM SAMANTHA BOARDMAN
Marie Claire Newsletter
Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!
-
Pierce Brosnan Gave His Wife Keely 60 Roses for Her 60th Birthday
These two!!!
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
Travis Kelce Jerseys Have Seen a "400% Spike in Sales" Amid Rumored Taylor Swift Romance
The power this woman has...
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
Travis Kelce Rented Out an Entire Restaurant for Taylor Swift and His Team Post-Football Game
Grand gesture alert!
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
Senator Klobuchar: "Early Detection Saves Lives. It Saved Mine"
Senator and breast cancer survivor Amy Klobuchar is encouraging women not to put off preventative care any longer.
By Senator Amy Klobuchar
-
How Being a Plus-Size Nude Model Made Me Finally Love My Body
I'm plus size, but after I decided to pose nude for photos, I suddenly felt more body positive.
By Kelly Burch
-
I'm an Egg Donor. Why Was It So Difficult for Me to Tell People That?
Much like abortion, surrogacy, and IVF, becoming an egg donor was a reproductive choice that felt unfit for society’s standards of womanhood.
By Lauryn Chamberlain
-
The 20 Best Probiotics to Keep Your Gut in Check
Gut health = wealth.
By Julia Marzovilla
-
Simone Biles Is Out of the Team Final at the Tokyo Olympics
She withdrew from the event due to a medical issue, according to USA Gymnastics.
By Rachel Epstein
-
The Truth About Thigh Gaps
We're going to need you to stop right there.
By Kenny Thapoung
-
3 Women On What It’s Like Living With An “Invisible” Condition
Despite having no outward signs, they can be brutal on the body and the mind. Here’s how each woman deals with having illnesses others often don’t understand.
By Emily Shiffer
-
The High Price of Living With Chronic Pain
Three women open up about how their conditions impact their bodies—and their wallets.
By Alice Oglethorpe