You’re Not Alone in Feeling Lonely

05/02/23 • 31 min

1 Listener

Loneliness is an experience so many of us have. But what’s surprising is how loneliness impacts both our mental and physical health. To mark this week’s release of a groundbreaking new Surgeon General’s advisory on loneliness & social connection, Dr. Murthy answers the most common questions he’s asked about loneliness. He also shares some of the surprising science around the positive health effects of social connection. This episode is one worth sharing with a friend.

Learn more at SurgeonGeneral.gov/connection (p.s. it’s a really unexpected website).

(01:49) How do loneliness and isolation affect our health?

(03:35) Are there different types of loneliness?

(06:29) How bad is the loneliness problem in America?

(08:13) How do you know if you’re lonely?

(09:42) Do online friends count?

(12:18) Am I at a disadvantage if I live alone?

(13:48) How do I know if someone else is lonely?

(14:33) What can I do if my partner is feeling lonely?

(15:23) How do I know if someone else is lonely?

(17:06) Can strangers help us feel less lonely?

(18:24) What does Dr. Murthy do when he’s feeling lonely?

(23:13) What can we do to address the loneliness epidemic?

(26:36) How can we manage connection in a remote work environment?

(29:12) Embrace the “Acceptance Prophecy”

(30:04) Just how powerful is social connection?

We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at [email protected] with your feedback & ideas.

Learn more at SurgeonGeneral.gov/connection (p.s. it’s a really unexpected website).

(01:49) How do loneliness and isolation affect our health?

(03:35) Are there different types of loneliness?

(06:29) How bad is the loneliness problem in America?

(08:13) How do you know if you’re lonely?

(09:42) Do online friends count?

(12:18) Am I at a disadvantage if I live alone?

(13:48) How do I know if someone else is lonely?

(14:33) What can I do if my partner is feeling lonely?

(15:23) How do I know if someone else is lonely?

(17:06) Can strangers help us feel less lonely?

(18:24) What does Dr. Murthy do when he’s feeling lonely?

(23:13) What can we do to address the loneliness epidemic?

(26:36) How can we manage connection in a remote work environment?

(29:12) Embrace the “Acceptance Prophecy”

(30:04) Just how powerful is social connection?

We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at [email protected] with your feedback & ideas.

Previous Episode

Dr. Rangan Chatterjee: What's at the Core of Your Happiness? (Part 2)

How well do you balance your ideas of success with your happiness? And do you really understand what makes you happy?

In Part Two of their conversation about stress, the Surgeon General and Dr. Rangan Chatterjee talk about how our culture of striving for more can undermine our happiness. But if we can identify a few simple things that bring us joy, we can develop the skill of happiness. As an example, Dr. Chatterjee leads Dr. Murthy through a simple “core happiness” exercise we can all practice.

This episode of House Calls gets deeply personal, as both doctors talk about personal challenges in their lives relating to family, love, and loss. This conversation is a powerful example of how connecting human-to-human can help us through hard moments.

We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at [email protected] with your feedback & ideas.

(02:05) Why really listening, instead of problem-solving, matters.

(06:10) How can we develop the skill of happiness?

(10:22) Does success equate to happiness?

(12:28) The quest for success: the story of Dr. Chatterjee’s father.

(17:14) Want to try the exercise “Write Your Happy Ending?”

(20:20) Look back...what makes you happy?

(23:41) Dr. Murthy shares an internal struggle.

(27:42) And what Dr. Chatterjee reveals in return.

(30:50) Love, loss, and beauty as emotional companions.

(33:57) As parents age, finding new appreciation for life.

(37:41) Want to alleviate stress? Reach out, connect, and be vulnerable.

Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, Physician & Podcast Host

Twitter: @drchatterjeeuk

Instagram: @drchatterjee

Facebook: @drchatterjee

About Dr. Rangan Chatterjee

Dr. Rangan Chatterjee is regarded as one of the most influential medical doctors in the UK and wants to change how medicine will be practiced for years to come. His mission is to help 100 million people around the globe live better lives.

He hosts the most listened to health podcast in the UK and Europe, "Feel Better, Live More" – which regularly tops the Apple Podcast charts. The podcast has received 125 million audio downloads to date and is listened to and watched by over 8 million people every month. Chris Evans calls “Feel Better Live More” ‘One of the best podcasts on the planet.’

Dr Chatterjee is known for his ability to simplify complex health advice and find the root cause of people's health problems - he highlighted his methods in the ground-breaking BBC One television show, “Doctor in the House,” which has been shown in over 70 countries around the world. He has recently been awarded the title of Professor of Health Communication and Education at The University of Chester.

He is the Number 1 selling health author in the UK; each of his 5 books are Sunday Times Bestsellers in the UK and international bestsellers across the globe. His latest book “Happy Mind, Happy Life” was published on March 31st 2022 and was an instant No.1 Sunday Times Bestseller. Dr. Chatterjee hosts his own Amazon Original daily podcast “Built to Thrive,” regularly appears on BBC Television and has been featured in numerous international publications including The New York Times, Forbes, The Guardian and Vogue. His TED talk, How To Make Disease Disappear, has been viewed more than 5.5 million times.

Next Episode

Eric Nam: Yes, Vulnerability is a Superpower (Even For Pop Stars)

How can vulnerability and openness help us through our darkest times and find our truest selves?

For Eric Nam, a voice loved by millions around the world, this was not an easy question to answer. In his rise to K-pop stardom he wrestled with mental health, experiencing feelings of anxiety, depression and ‘otherness.’ And he’s seen fellow stars succumb to mental health issues. But instead of hiding his difficulties, Eric found a way through them, by finding safe ways to be vulnerable on and off stage and challenging accepted ideas of success and manhood. And he’s gone further by creating platform for other global stars to share their honest stories and help fans with their mental health.

And stay tuned to hear Eric and Dr. Murthy reveal their new boyband name!

We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at [email protected] with your feedback & ideas.

(05:25) Becoming a K-pop star

(09:51) How did Eric have the courage to ask himself if he was happy?

(12:03) Navigating family expectations around his career

(17:20) How do healing & vulnerability show up in Eric’s music?

(22:18) Is it harder to be vulnerable as a guy?

(27:19) Early career struggles impacting his mental health

(34:26) Handling fame

(36:37) Why making new friends can sometimes be hard?

(38:33) Helping others with mental health challenges

(41:54) What does Eric Nam love most about being Korean American?

(44:50) What are Eric Nam’s go-to tunes for relaxing?

(45:56) If Eric and the Surgeon General had a boy band, what would they call it?

(53:31) What gives Eric hope?

Eric Nam, Singer & Entrepreneur

Instagram: @ericnam

Twitter: @ericnamofficial

Facebook: @ericnamofficial

About Eric Nam

Eric Nam is a multi-faceted singer-songwriter, TV personality, actor, and entrepreneur. Named GQ Korea’s Man of the Year and Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia, Eric is a household name and one of the most extensively touring Asian artists in the world. In 2019, with the help of his brothers, Eric co-founded DIVE Studios, a K-pop-focused media company with multiple award-winning podcasts. In 2021, the Nam brothers leveraged the success of DIVE Studios to create Mindset, a mental health and wellness platform with a library of authentic and intimate video and audio collections from world-renowned celebrities. Eric received a B.A. in International Studies with honors from Boston College.