Loneliness and isolation
A recent report showed that nearly half of Cornish residents reported feeling lonely. We’ve all been more isolated over the last 18 months, but for a lot of people loneliness is their normal life.
Loneliness and isolation can have a huge impact on people’s mental wellbeing. It's even been shown that loneliness is as bad for your health as smoking and drinking alcohol.
Connecting with other people is one of the Five Ways to Wellbeing and is one way to give your mental wellbeing a boost. Whatever your age or situation, it is important to stay in touch with friends and family. Humans are social beings, so to prevent us from feeling down or lonely it's really important to make sure we're staying in touch with people.
And yet, whilst we all carry phones in our pockets, it’s becoming less and less common for people to use them to actually talk to each other. These days we are more likely to message or text someone, or post an update on social media, which isn’t the same as having an actual conversation.
A recent Ofcom report showed that a quarter of people make less than five calls a month, while 6% make no calls at all. In another study younger people said they prefer to use messaging services, such as WhatsApp, rather than use their phones to talk.
Phone a Friend
This is why we’ve launched our new campaign to get people across Cornwall to #PhoneAFriend.
We are challenging everyone to pick up the phone and call someone; an old schoolmate, a relative, a friend from work, anyone who might be lonely.
If you’re on social media, why not post about taking on the challenge and then tag three friends and challenge them to do the same. Don’t forgot to tag it #PhoneAFriend
Don’t worry if you’re not on social media though, you can still take part by simply picking up the phone and giving someone a call!
Further help
To talk to someone about your mental wellbeing call the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 24/7 NHS mental health response line on 0800 038 5300. Support is available to anyone, regardless of age, all day every day.
Our mental health pages include a host of resources to help you with your mental wellbeing, including guidance on staying mentally well and help to feel mentally stronger, psychological wellbeing guides, interactive safety plans and listings of available support services.