Overcoming Loneliness and Isolation by Strengthening Your Social Health with April Baker

In this episode, I speak with April Baker, CEO of the loneliness charity TogetherCo, about combatting loneliness and isolation by improving your social health. They discuss the differences between being alone, loneliness, and isolation. April shares her personal struggles with loneliness in her twenties while outwardly appearing to have an active social life.

We explore how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted people's social connections and mental health, especially for those already isolated or lonely. They talk about how to strengthen social health even for busy, successful people who still feel lonely. April offers practical tips like taking stock of your current relationships, performing small acts of kindness daily, and getting involved in your community through volunteering.

Key Takeaways:

- Loneliness is feeling disconnected even if you're around people; isolation is being unable to leave home or interact.

- You can appear to have an active social life online but still feel profound loneliness.

- The pandemic severely affected social health for many, especially older adults.

- Strengthen social health by taking stock of key relationships, showing kindness daily, and volunteering in your community.

- Making social health a priority is just as important as diet and exercise for overall wellbeing.

Quotes and insights from the episode:

"Loneliness is feeling disconnected even if you're around people...you could be lonely in a room full of people and look like you’ve got loads of friends."

"Loneliness is as bad for us as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. It really is a killer."

"The pandemic was a destroyer for some people, some people I know, older people... Soon as that was taken away, their mobility went right down, their movement went right down, their health often collapsed."

"Everybody deserves somebody. We come, we don’t come into this world fully alone...we shouldn’t go out on our own as well. And then sadly, people do."

"Making social health a priority is just as important as diet and exercise for overall wellbeing."

April's Quote:

"Loneliness is feeling disconnected even if you're around people...you could be lonely in a room full of people and look like you’ve got loads of friends."

Get in touch with April & Together Co:

Together Co is Brighton and Hove’s loneliness charity. We create connections to change lives. 

Get support | Help fund our services | Volunteer 

Follow TogetherCo on Twitter | Instagram | Facebook 

Get in touch with Sal

If this episode has caught your attention and you wish to learn more, then please contact me. I offer a free 20 min call where we can discuss a challenge your facing and how I may be able to help you