LIFESTYLE NEWS - September is Alzheimer's Awareness Month.
A loss of brain function and weakening of the heart can be caused by social isolation.
This is according to the studies of Dr Kerry Burnright, a professor of geriatric medicine.
Alone at home
Lockdown in our homes in 2020 as a protective measure against Covid-19 infection perhaps changed fear of missing out (FOMO) to fear of going out (FOGO) in 2021. Can you relate to this?
Being alone is not necessarily negative. One can be alone, but not lonely. I love this quote: “There is a difference between loneliness and solitude. One will empty you and one will fill you. You have power to choose.”
For many, the lockdown has been a re-set time: time for oneself and getting involved in simple restorative tasks, such as baking and gardening. Time to reflect and journal, write that book, be creative, connect to your Creator. Find beauty in the quiet.
However, I can happily be on my own for a day or two at most, but after that I yearn to connect with others. Having a glass of wine or tea tastes much better in company, don’t you think?
Connect socially
As a young widow in my 40s, I learned to be proactive about connecting with others: phoning friends and arranging get togethers, especially for Women’s Day on 9 August every year.
Our western society has unfortunately forgotten the value of community. Divorcees, widows and the elderly do not appear on invitation lists.
I have been a widow since 1996, when my daughters were aged 14 and 17. They lived at home in Stellenbosch, where they completed their tertiary studies.
Later, I avoided the empty nest syndrome by going to work in Oman, in the Middle East.
In the nine years I lived there I discovered what community really is: expatriate friends meeting regularly, praying for one another and taking care of one another.
Once a runaway truck bashed into my vehicle, damaging it and leaving me stranded. A friend who was travelling overseas offered me his Discovery Land Rover for a month while my car was being repaired.
Now, back in South Africa, I choose to live in community - offering one of my three bedrooms to someone else. This idea could be a solution for someone who is experiencing loneliness and loss. This involves sharing space, not necessarily meals, but friendship is at hand when needed, for example, to get your car to the garage to be serviced or a cup of tea when you are not feeling well.
Dr Burnright suggests that we need to connect with people of varying ages. This will keep our minds sharp.
I am grateful to have a granddaughter, Olive (aged six), to spend Thursday afternoons with me. She "teaches" me to build Lego and I give her chess lessons. Fun!
Here is a wise word from a vibrant 106 year old, Elmer Thill: “Wake up. Spread love.”
We can only spread love and fulfil the greatest commandment from our Creator as we stay connected. - June McGahey, natural food and lifestyle consultant (https://healthathand.co.za)
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