How to avoid loneliness during the holiday season and beyond
A message from Dr. Shannon McDonald, FNHA Deputy Chief Medical Officer
The holiday season is an ideal time to remember that your presence is the most valuable present of all for the lonelier members of your community—and that connecting with others is not only very important for their health, but for yours!
"Holiday Loneliness" is a real problem for many of us. With all the media coverage depicting happy, healthy families and friends basking in the warmth of their togetherness, those of us whose families don’t fit this description—probably the majority, despite what we see on holiday TV commercials—can feel loneliness more intensely. So it’s very important to cope with holiday loneliness by first being aware of any unrealistic expectations we may have about what this season is supposed to look like and how we are supposed to feel.
Dr. Shannon McDonald at home with family
Indigenous people have always placed a high value on strong personal connections and connections to our cultures; traditional wisdom teaches that these contribute to the resilience, health and vibrancy of our communities. So, ideally, we try to work together to create connectivity and support each other.
We know that as a result of past and ongoing factors, too many of our people feel disconnected and suffer from loneliness. And if some of us are lonely and disconnected, the overall strength of the community is impacted. So, how do we connect and engage? Please see the attached tip sheet for some suggestions for minimizing feelings of loneliness and isolation and maximizing good feelings of balance and contentment.
Getting connected and engaged is as important for your health as exercise, nutrition, water and air! None of us can do life alone. We need each other! So if you are feeling lonely, please try some of the attached suggestions for connecting. As with anything worth doing, it will be hard at first, but well worth it in the end.
Have a happy, healthy, connected and engaged holiday season.
Yours in Wellness,
Dr. Shannon McDonald