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How to talk to strangers
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Do you like the idea of chatting to strangers as a way to tackle loneliness? Do you worry that you don’t know how to do it? Good news: it’s not as hard as you think and you’re already better at it than you think!
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For our latest blog, Dr. Gillian Sandstrom who is a social psychologist at the University of Sussex has written a blog with some tips on how to talk to strangers as a way to help end loneliness.
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What we are thinking about
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Thinking about your professional learning goals for 2024? If you manage or lead a team, our latest e-learning module is designed with you in mind. Learn how to:
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- Identify common causes and triggers of workplace loneliness.
- Recognise workplace loneliness in yourself and others.
- Understand the effects of loneliness on wellbeing, job satisfaction and overall performance.
- Implement practical strategies to address workplace loneliness and promote inclusivity within your organisation.
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Understanding and evaluating the impact of interventions aimed at addressing loneliness can pose a unique set of challenges. In a recent Tackling Loneliness Hub member co-working session, we worked through some of the challenges members had with their own evaluation methods. This blog post synthesises the key takeaways from the discussion.
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There is still time to book your place for our final online conference - Loneliness: The next five years. Join us on Thursday 8 February to celebrate the amazing people and organisations from across the world who are making a difference as we discuss:
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- Loneliness inequalities
- Young people and loneliness
- Tackling loneliness through the built environment
- The global response to loneliness
- The role of arts and creativity
- The role of digital tools in fostering connection
- System-wide approaches to tackling loneliness
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What we are reading
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This systematic review aims to address a gap in understanding of loneliness in diverse cultural, economic and socio-political contexts by synthesising data from qualitative studies undertaken with adults (16+) in low and middle-income countries. The review asked (i) How is loneliness experienced in LMICs? and (ii) How may contextual (geographical and cultural) factors affect the experience of loneliness and social relationship expectations? Searches and screening resulted in inclusion of 24 studies from 15 countries from West, East and North Africa, West, South and Southeast Asia. Data were analysed inductively and deductively. Deductive categories were framed in relation to the six dimensions of the authors’ Social Relationship Expectations (SRE) Framework: proximity, support, intimacy, fun, generativity, and respect. Commonalities and variation in experiences of loneliness are identified and factors discussed include transient versus chronic loneliness; rejection; poverty; and migration.
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This US study involved content analysis of 20 semi-structured interviews with older adults (50+) experiencing homelessness. It investigates how loneliness is shaped by ‘intersecting vulnerabilities of aging, homelessness, and social isolation’. The analysis resulted in a typology of diverse loneliness experiences shaped by varied individual, social and structural conditions. Types of loneliness experience were 1. Lonely – distressed (typically with severe physical impairments which acted as a barrier to desired social connection and support 2. Lonely – Rather be isolated (major life stress/trauma meant withdrawal from social interaction and isolation despite loneliness; feeling of abandonment by the healthcare system) 3. Lonely-transient (Loneliness was more accepted and less distressing and this group had some constructive coping behaviours; most relationships were still transactional) 4. Not lonely (had an established network - combining transactional support and non-transactional companionship OR enjoyed being alone). The discussion includes suggestions for future research on interventions to address social and structural factors; and the need for interdisciplinary care for older adults experiencing/at risk of loneliness and, specifically, trauma informed care for work with older adults who have experienced homelessness.
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Dates for your diary
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Friday 12 January - Monday 15 January
Winter doesn’t have to be lonely. From 12-15 January 2024, Great Winter Get Together events will be places where people can go to find meaningful connection and community, inspired by Jo Cox.
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Monday 15 January - 09.30-10.30 - Online
Join the Good Practice Mentor while they explore what Community Builders do and don’t do, and a range of techniques employed in Torbay that have supported a lot of people to feel more valued and purposeful, and less isolated and lonely.
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Wednesday 17 January - 11.00-12.30 - Online
Join Age UK to celebrate the impact of the Travelling Companions Service pilot programme had on the lives of the older people it supported. They will explore the extensive learning they gained around delivering interventions aimed at tackling loneliness.
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The effects of workplace loneliness can ripple through an employee’s life, both personally and professionally, and the consequences can be profound. This module is designed to equip managers and team leaders with an in-depth understanding of workplace loneliness and actionable strategies to create a more inclusive and supportive work environment
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Anytime - Online
Our introductory e-learning module is designed to help individuals understand the causes and effects of loneliness, and what to do if we or someone we know is feeling lonely.
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Get in touch
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Do you have news or thoughts that you would like to share with people working on loneliness and others who are interested? Email info@ctel.blazeoven.co.uk.uk
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