I was falling, my arms were flailing about. My body began to do tumble turns and I couldn’t find purchase anywhere to break my fall. Down, down…what the hell’s going on? And then I shot bolt upright in my bed, beads of sweat on my forehead, my heart hammering.
Relief flooded through me as I realized that it was a dream, but it left me feeling uneasy and I was unable to get back to sleep.
Something prompted these images and I reached back into my mind to retrieve the trigger.
I had read an article recently that really touched me very deeply and I must have tucked it away into my subconscious. I’d also been with a client the week before, who had spoken of such loneliness and depression, that he described his life as a ‘pothole’. (A lot of these feelings manifest with many people around Christmas and New Year, which can and has been very lonely for many.)
Below, is a brief summary of the article that caught my attention.
Research by Richard Weissboard, psychologist and senior lecturer at Harvard shows that ‘loneliness’ has reached epidemic proportions. As generations evolve and external circumstances shift, not everybody is able to pivot and adapt to new situations.
The really surprising fact for me, was that loneliness is affecting younger generations, teens and young adults, with more serious consequences than older generations.
We are by nature, sociable creatures (outside of our inherited family). We need the stimulation of other people, however, external circumstances of approximately two years now, have greatly affected the sociable network that younger people are being denied.
Loneliness has become a casualty of COVID. It has also induced tremendous fear and anxieties in younger people, who lack the skill set to manage their mindset when dealing with these unprecedented and uncertain times.
Now as the rollercoaster of the pandemic is on the down-low, and life is seemingly returning to ‘normal’, it is time to reflect, do a self-awareness check and see where you are right now and if where you are…
- Is where you want to be?
- Is where you are happy?
- Is where you feel alive, appreciated and grateful?
If not, always remember, life is a series of journeys and experiences. If we no longer feel fulfilled or happy where we are, then it’s time to re-route and as scary as change may be, it is the only way you can alter your destiny to one that showcases your courage, resilience, and grit in pursuit of a life that’s meaningful, joyful and your birthright!
Remember, you are not alone. And you can be the change you want to see.