Alpha Edison’s Post

When politics divide us, social connectedness becomes even more critical. In times of political tension, it's natural to want to withdraw. I've heard many people expressing the desire to disconnect and isolate following yesterday's results. But as someone who studies social connection and health, I want to share some reasons to reconsider. In a recent op-ed I wrote about America's crisis of social isolation and its impact on collective wellbeing presents evidence that when we disconnect from each other, our mental and physical health suffers. While it may be necessary to take time and hold personal space to process the results and what this may mean for one's family, community, or social group, I encourage you to: 1. Check in on your social networks to provide or receive emotional and tangible support. 2. Find ways to have collective conversations. Lets take care of each other. Grateful to the Yale Women Faculty Forum Public Voices Fellowship at Yale University and the The OpEd Project for helping us communicate our ideas to the world. You can access the op-ed here on TheFulcrum.US: https://lnkd.in/eZ-MXmHx #SocialConnectedness #Election2024 #Wellbeing #PublicHealth

The U.S. and other countries should be proactively promoting social health, the dimension of individuals' health and well-being that stems from quality human connections. https://trib.al/qFG2MeO

A really interesting article about reframing loneliness around the more positive and empowering ‘social health’ - how can you improve your connections with people; whether it be family, friends or community and thus improve your social health. https://lnkd.in/e4qvBSzE

𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐯𝐬. 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ Power dynamics within communities significantly influence mental health outcomes. 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 promotes inclusivity, collaboration, and a sense of belonging, leading to enhanced self-esteem and reduced feelings of isolation. When individuals feel empowered to participate in decision-making, it fosters a supportive environment that strengthens community bonds and overall well-being.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ In contrast, 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 can create environments of inequality and marginalization, leading to feelings of disillusionment and frustration among those excluded from decision-making processes. This can increase stress and anxiety, as individuals may feel powerless and disconnected from their community.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ Let’s shift from power hoarding to power sharing by embracing 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩, where elders, families, and communities share decision-making responsibilities. By fostering 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, everyone can contribute their strengths for the common good. ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ We must redefine power as a means of 𝐮𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬, fostering respect and interconnectedness among community members. 𝐎𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 can play a crucial role, passing down knowledge of power sharing through stories that emphasize wisdom and inclusion. ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ Additionally, by 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐬, we can value collective power over domination, resisting modern hierarchical systems that often marginalize voices. By prioritizing these principles, we can enhance resilience and promote better mental health outcomes for all community members.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ #powersharing #collectiveleadership #mentalhealthmatters #empowercommunities #inclusiveleadership #communitywellbeing #strengthinunity #communityconversation #advocate #treeoflifecounselingcentersa

As we navigate the complexities of modern life, it's essential to recognize the value of intergenerational connections in combating social isolation. 💡 𝘽𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 is more than just a buzzword – it's a powerful way to foster meaningful relationships and build stronger communities. By connecting people across different age groups, we can create opportunities for knowledge sharing, skill transfer, and emotional support. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀: from improving mental health and well-being to enhancing social skills and promoting intergenerational understanding. As we strive to combat social isolation, let's harness the power of intergenerational connections to build a more inclusive and compassionate society. #IntergenerationalConnections #SocialIsolation #CommunityBuilding #MentalHealthAwareness

Social health is so important today, especially in our younger generations. Read our blog about how to improve our social health as a community at therdeye.com. https://lnkd.in/ev6BXKwY

Social isolation, disconnection, and loneliness have negative health consequences.  In no other age demographic is this more evident than our > 65 year olds.  Our elders are, in my mind, an untapped resource full of wisdom.  We can do better to engage with them in a meaningful way, in our work, in our social circles, within our families.  There are several organizations that I have recently discovered in the Boston area that do just that.  Here’s a shout out to #Friendshipworks, one that I am currently collaborating with to increase awareness on the topic of social isolation and to increase engagement with our older population.  Please check them out! This article highlights the importance of social engagement as we age.  Take a look! https://lnkd.in/eqcXJVGa

You ever wondered what various governments are doing to address loneliness and social isolation? 📢 Publication alert! We looked at 52 countries and this is what we found: 💡 14 of 52 countries (27%) had official documents that addressed loneliness and the vast number of documents we identified (79 documents) highlight the growing momentum in the loneliness discourse in the study area (UN European country groups which also include USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Israel and Turkey). 💡 Most countries in our sample showed some attempt at raising public awareness about loneliness (AL, AU, CA, DK, DE, IE, IT, MT, NL, CH, UK, US). 💡 All 14 countries that published documents on loneliness demonstrated an awareness that loneliness impacted various dimensions including geography (through place of residence and housing, public transport, community services, urban planning), social (some groups are more vulnerable to loneliness than others, social support, technology), health (physical and mental), economics (income, unemployment) or politics (effects of COVID policies, political engagement, working across sectors to address loneliness). 💡 None of the documents reviewed acknowledged that (i) most research on physical health and loneliness is cross-sectional, and (ii) such work does not control for other predictors of health, including, for example, socioeconomic status and actual health conditions. These are important considerations because (a) we cannot be certain that healthy individuals are more likely to get sick if they experience loneliness compared to other healthy individuals who do not experience loneliness, and (b) whether the link between loneliness and health is actually driven by structural inequalities that determine our physical and social environments. 💡 We have also found that the documents rarely mention the transient nature of loneliness and the discourse often seems to frame loneliness like an illness that can be treated. The documents also did not address the cultural context (i.e. beliefs, values, religion) that can shape expectations of relationships and the welfare regime. 💡 We propose a list of actionable recommendations for national and regional governments wishing to establish or incorporate loneliness into their policy documents (Table 3). 🐝 This has been a wonderful collaboration with Devi Khanna, Marie line El Asmar,MD,MPH, Pamela Qualter and austen el-osta. 🐝 We also thank the following students: Selma Akbas and Laura Baldini (University of Basel), Kim Aleppo, Izma Ahmed, Angela Benson, Emma Marchong, Sathana Sivanantham (Imperial College London), Keyi Le, Yaxuan Shi, Ruifeng Ding and Yiming Bi (The University of Manchester) and Mahmoud M M Al Ammouri, Claudia Kessler, Dr med, FMH, MPH (Public Health Services, Switzerland). https://lnkd.in/eFgBJmWM

👋 While many leaders in social change are advocating for a shift from constant work toward healthy rhythms of reclaiming rest and restoration, the mindset of self-sacrifice and burnout remains deeply ingrained. The good news is that more people are now working to support social change leaders' mental health and well-being— but how can this be done? How can organizations be a part of making this move? 👀 Here's an example! We partnered with leaders, impact teams, and AmeriCorps members at City Year striving to change this narrative, recognizing that mental health and well-being are vital to bringing about the future we imagine to be possible. Since 2022, we’ve worked together to create well-being resources, training and support for their staff, as well as the 2,000+ AmeriCorps members they partner with to serve under-resourced public schools in the US. 🟡 While this work is vitalizing and impactful, it can also be deeply challenging. Systems and cultures are slow to shift, even when building tailored initiatives *into* existing structures and mechanisms. Meanwhile, life in many communities continues to be affected by injustice, marginalization, and systemic under-resourcing. 💡 These challenges teach us that addressing mental health and well-being must be multi-pronged. Support individuals as they show up to serve in communities; build internal systems and pathways so the organization can offer people what they need, when they need it; build with stakeholders, including funders and partners, a narrative shift so that everyone can thrive. Learn more about the initiatives: https://lnkd.in/es2emhYm #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #wellbeing #socialchange

Learn how to boost your social health with strong connections. This Forbes article explores the importance of meaningful relationships and offers practical tips to enhance your well-being. Discover strategies to build and maintain these vital connections. https://lnkd.in/gPzBc5VE #nlr #nextlevelrecruiting #careeradvice