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Turns Out if You’re Feeling Lonely and Tired, There’s a Reason for That

Turns Out if You’re Feeling Lonely and Tired, There’s a Reason for That

Are you feeling tired and drained? You’re not alone.

In fact, a recent study conducted by scientists from the University of Vienna found that social isolation can lead to increased levels of tiredness. The study found that people reported higher levels of fatigue after eight hours of social isolation, and this response varied based on individual social personality traits.

As a social species, we crave social interaction just as we crave food. Scientific evidence shows that extended periods of social isolation can induce a craving response in our brains, motivating us to reconnect with others. The study suggests there may be a dedicated homeostatic system that regulates the human need for social contact.

The study highlights the immediate mechanisms that underlie the link between loneliness and fatigue. While it’s well-known that long-term loneliness and fatigue are related, we know little about the effects of short-term social isolation. The study suggests that low energy could be an adaptive response to social isolation in the short term, but it may become maladaptive in the long run.

It’s clear that loneliness is a major cultural problem. And if we don’t do something soon to address it, our society could change in damaging ways.

Lonely Independence

As children, relationship is a primary pursuit. We’re freed to engage with other kids. Our environments leave room for play and conversation. Everything is about exploration and expectation. And most of what we do is in groups.

But in many cases, as we grow older, autonomy and disconnection are seen as forms of virtue. Doing things on our own and not relying on others have become seen as signs of maturity. They elicit images of the Lone Ranger, cowboys and superheroes.

The superhero saves the world, but his inevitable thorn is loneliness.

And so we build our lives—and ultimately our society—on transience and the chasing of dreams. It’s built on the pressure of performing and proving our worth based on our merit and accomplishment. In this, we reduce our significant relationships to a single person and relegate our other relationships to the peripheral. Romance is lovely. It is to be celebrated and enjoyed.

Marriage is wonderful. But a spouse is not meant to take the place of the village.

One day, we all wake up to discover we’re all so busy proving that we are worthy of being loved until, eventually, we realize the only thing we’re not alone in is our loneliness.

The Danger of Disconnectivity

This disconnection from close, platonic relationships ultimately proves to be deadly.

In a six-year study of 736 middle-aged men, being attached to a single person (almost always a spouse) did not lower the risk of heart attack and fatal coronary heart disease, whereas having a strong social support network did.

As New Republic, loneliness — if not addressed quickly enough — can actually lead to death:

Emotional isolation is ranked as high a risk factor for mortality as smoking. A partial list of the physical diseases thought to be caused by or exacerbated by loneliness would include Alzheimer’s, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, neurodegenerative diseases, and even cancer—tumors can metastasize faster in lonely people.

Commit To the Village

For millennia, humans have been communal creatures. We have lived alongside one another in lifelong connectivity. Today, autonomy and disconnection are the ways of life. Depending on others and planting ourselves deeply in them are frequently seen as liabilities—signs of weakness—more than they are seen as virtues. Yet, in Ecclesiastes 4:12, just after the Bible says that “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves,” it reminds us that, “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

The solution to our loneliness? Commitment—and not just to a spouse.

Several years ago, I wrote an article called “Pressing Through The First 1/3.” It talks about our obsession with the flashiness of new and our constant jumping from one person and place to another because of the fear of missing out. In that article I wrote, “Our addiction to the high of the first 1/3 has kept many of us from reaching the true depths of relationship that you and I are created to experience.”

The truth is, relationship is difficult yet essential. We must choose long-term sacrifice and commitment.

A long time ago, this was most often a non-issue. When things got tough, people couldn’t get in a car and drive away. They couldn’t get on a plane and fly to another city. In fact, when they woke up the next morning, they would walk out the front of their houses and see the people with whom they had difficulty face to face. Today, this kind of commitment takes decision, but it’s an imperative decision.

Another thing we learn from the village is perspective.

When we recognize the value of relationship, we no longer live solely for the good of ourselves. We live for the good of the whole.

Our well-being and worth are not defined in the context of individuality. Our well-being, health, and fulfillment are directly connected to the good and well-being of the people surrounding us. This reminds us that the most important thing in life is relationship.

Now What?

Maybe it’s time to re-evaluate our priorities. One of the things I’ve discovered this year as I’ve considered relationship in my own life is this. I love and am drawn to ambitious people. I’m challenged by them. I’m inspired by them. But being drawn to ambitious people can really lead to a lonely life. We’re all off pursuing our dreams and passions and miss the deep connection we’re created for.

Our ambitions MUST come second to our ambitious pursuit of one another.

I have friends who have done and will do lots of amazing things. And in my conversations with them, one thing is clear. None of it matters when we’re disconnected from one another.

In Hebrews, the call for community is directly linked to encouragement, and spurring “one another on toward love and good deeds”:

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching (Hebrews 10:24-25).

So today, put people first. And tomorrow, when they’re difficult, put people first. And when you get the itch for something new, put people first. And when you think your career necessitates giving up everyone you love, put people first.

Pursue the ones you love with steadfastness and longevity.

This article was originally published on colenesmith.com and has been updated with current statistics. 

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