The loneliness pandemic

The average American has only one close friend.

This is troubling (especially during COVID), as loneliness is linked to depression and higher rates of heart attack and premature death.

What we see on the news is COVID deaths but what lies beneath is perhaps an even bigger pandemic waiting to come. It’s not something we talk about. It’s not something that gets reported on CNN or Fox News. But it’s something that is worth talking about before it’s too late.

80% of young adults faced "significant depressive symptoms” during COVID—what happens next? We don’t read about this in the news—yet it may truly be the next pandemic that is brewing in the shadows…the loneliness pandemic.

But what we can do is talk about it. Acknowledge it. To destigmatize mental health. And be there for our loved ones, friends, and colleagues—because you never know what is happening with someone.

A good reminder for me to check in with my family, friends, and colleagues.

The next pandemic—mental health

“Everyone is going through something that we can’t see.” - Kevin Love

We have another pandemic on our shoulders, and it’s name is called “mental health.” Even before COVID, 20% of the U.S. population experienced mental illness—these were reported cases, and the real figures are likely much higher. And COVID has just made things a lot worse…

The scary thing is that less than 50% of those who actually muster up to courage to seek help actually seek treatment—they get diagnosed and then they don’t get the help they need.

The mental health crisis is real, and it’s often an invisible war that affects more people globally than COVID. And often, there is no vaccine for mental illness and one that lingers on and on and on…

So what can we do? We need to acknowledge that it’s there. It’s real. And be there to support those that may be afraid to speak up.

What I’ve learned is just understanding and being there is often the best medicine we have as friends, family, colleagues, and loved ones.

Stressing out over the small things

Some times it takes a crisis for us to realize what’s really important in life—it’s never the small things.

Though we may tend to stress out over the smallest things, they really are small in comparison to what really matters in life (hint: people). Why do we stress over a missed deadline? An imperfect presentation? A work project in the future?

Where are we spending our energy? Knowing that we only have a finite amount of energy—are we spending it on the big things or the small things?

Some times it takes a crisis for us to realize what’s really important in life. It’s a wake-up call and hopefully one that does not repeat itself throughout life. Let’s stop stressing out over work—it’s not worth it. Hopefully we can learn from this and shift our energy towards the things that truly matter in life…before it’s too late.

Take care.

The beginning of spring

It’s May, and it finally feels like the beginning of spring—terraces are now open, more people are out and about, the tulips are out on full display, the curfew has been lifted, and drunk teenagers are now back on the late night streets again.

The past year has been a long haul for the world, and it’s not over yet. Some countries are faring better while some countries (India & Brazil) are faring worse—a constant reminder that life can be a lot worse than being cooped up inside watching Friends on Netflix on repeat (not me). Be grateful.

It’s been over 1.5 years since I’ve seen family and friends—the longest I’ve ever been away from home—I miss them a lot. Being so far away from home has also made me ask myself, did I make the right choice in coming here?

Well, there’s never really a right or wrong choice—there’s just choice. You make a choice or you don’t. Then you go with the flow.—the flow of life. And you continue moving forward with the choices you make.