Friendship for a Healthy life

Getting together with strangers and being transparent isn’t easy. As we all still suffer the after-effects of the Pandemic, withdrawing away from others and into ourselves feels normal. During those years, we became more concerned about protecting ourselves from disease and harm than reaching out and touching the lives of others.  So now, new people, new situations, new experiences can leave us feeling insecure and fearful. The very common fear of the unknown permeates our thinking on every level. 

By withdrawing emotionally and thinking we are protecting ourselves, the opposite results. We are experiencing something now being called the “loneliness epidemic.”  Greater levels of loneliness and isolation than ever imagined persist.

One article in Prevention magazine states, “ Being socially isolated, by contract, hurts emotionally and psychologically, and its stresses take a physical toll. Persistent loneliness (lasting longer than 2 weeks) is linked to high blood pressure, depression, heart disease, and stroke…”

So dear Refreshed Women, push past your desire to run for cover, and decide to step out of your comfort zone to grab a healthier life. Choose to make friends, confide in someone who cares about you, relax and allow yourself to share coffee with someone new. Even if you start with only one, see if your mind, soul, body, and spirit don’t begin to feel more relaxed, peaceful and happy. Try it. It may become your path to a healthier life.