Last May, United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released an advisory addressing the epidemic of “loneliness and isolation.”
In the advisory, Murthy states that “in recent years, one-in-two adults in America reported feeling loneliness. And that was before the COVID-19 pandemic.” The Surgeon General’s advisory underscores the negative impacts that loneliness and isolation have on our mental, emotional, and physical well-being.
One way to offset the negative impacts of loneliness and isolation can be simply saying hello to your neighbors, according to a2023 Gallup poll. It’s a simple practice — taking as little as seconds to minutes of conversation to get a quick chat in.Our listener, Heather Keaton, wanted to know: “How can we be a good neighbor in a time of isolation?”
Can being a good neighbor help our country heal?
1A always welcomes suggestions from listeners. Email us your ideas: 1A@wamu.org.
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