FIND TRIBE OR DIE… With 8 and a half million neighbors, people literally living on top of one another, inside of boxes on top of boxes on top of boxes- it’s a strange little experiment we’re participating in here as New Yorkers. The island is swarming with humanity, and yet, many of us still feel alone, lack real community, are suffering and might be dying too soon bc of it…

According to a national survey, 25% of people don’t believe they have a single close friend (source). Hard to believe right, that 1 out of 4 people you walk by on the street or sit next to on a bar stool, or ride the train with, is going through life feeling pretty alone. In a weird way, being surrounded by humans, and not being seen, not receiving the connection you are wired for, is harder than being alone when there are no humans for miles. It’s like being adrift on a raft in the ocean, dying of thirst- water water everywhere, and not a drop to drink…

We’ve all experienced loneliness at some point in our lives- so we can all relate to those difficult stretches of life- but by the sounds of the above study, it’s much more of a chronic state than most of us probably realize. In addition to that, check out these findings… Allegedly, living with loneliness increases odds of an early death by 45% (source). That’s more than living with air pollution 5%, obesity 20%, and even ahead of excessive alcohol consumption which increases odds of an early death by 30%. Above all those other unhealthy lifestyle factors- loneliness or the quality of one’s relationships seems to play a major role in determining health-span and predicting lifespan.

And as we’ve determined from the above study and personal experience, loneliness is subjective. It doesn’t matter how many people are around. It matters whether or not the people around you really SEE you- that determines whether or not the social connection is nourishing- is life giving! So let’s put the WE back in wellness fam. Let’s get intentional about gathering, IRL, and then even more intentional about engaging in practices that give our minds a rest, give our bodies a chance to move freely, and give our souls the food they really crave through authentic connection.