According to the Mental Health Foundation, loneliness affects millions of people in the UK every year and is a key driver of poor mental health. Their research has unsurprisingly found that loneliness has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, and as a result the theme for Mental Health Awareness Week this year (May 9-16) is ‘Loneliness’.
It was already widely recognised that loneliness was a growing issue before the lockdowns associated with CV19, as three years ago the government published a strategy to tackle loneliness and build a more connected society. In addition to the high numbers of people who felt lonely before the pandemic, there are now also those who have lost confidence as a result of it, and who may struggle to reconnect or now feel left behind.
Despite more people than ever before reporting feeling lonely, there continues to be a stigma around the subject and associations with feelings of guilt, embarrassment, and shame. In an attempt to help change the perception of loneliness, and to remind people it’s a normal feeling that most people experience for many different reasons, a new podcast has been launched that allows people to share their experiences and raise awareness.
The podcast was launched in March this year by Isla Stewart, a marketing and events professional and mental health volunteer based in Aberdeen, Scotland. The podcast is ‘Me, Myself, and Isla – Lifting the Lid on Loneliness’ and invites people to talk primarily about the various situations that have caused them to feel lonely. The hope is the conversations will offer comfort and helpful advice to anyone who might be in a similar situation, or feeling the same. In addition, there are conversations around the importance of being able to spend time alone, and why choosing to do so can be a good thing, even fun.
Four episodes of the podcast have been published, with another three scheduled to take place across the next month. So far guests have spoken about loneliness in general, loneliness as a result of serious illness, loneliness during and coming out of lockdown, and the importance of being able to spend time on your own. Topics due to be talked about are loneliness in the farming industry, the joys of being a solo tourist, and using lonely times as a chance to look after yourself and check in with how you are feeling.
Isla said “I’ve been considering starting a podcast for a little while now but wasn’t sure what I would talk about that could be helpful and wasn’t already out there. I live alone, and so obviously lockdowns were difficult at times, but I knew they were for everyone, regardless of our different situations.
“However around Christmas last year, there were a few days where I felt a little flat and anxious, and it occurred to me that I was feeling lonely. I’m sure it wasn’t the first time I’ve felt this way, but it was the first time I’d stopped to think about it. I felt a bit embarrassed at first, but quickly reached out to my family and friends to let them know, and that really helped. I decided instantly that I’d use this experience as the basis for my podcast, in an attempt to help others who might be feeling that way. I know how lucky I am to have an incredible support network around me, and that not everyone has that, so by having these conversations we hope to offer a different type of support and reassurance.
“I am so grateful to those who have given me their time and shared their experiences with such honesty and kindness. I am also grateful to those who have listened to the episodes so far, the feedback seems to be that the topic is really resonating with people, which is all I wanted. I’ve received many private messages and emails from people sharing their own experiences of loneliness, for many different reasons, saying that they are glad this is being spoken about, and that they have taken comfort from hearing the stories of others.”
‘Me, Myself, and Isla – Lifting the Lid on Loneliness’ is available to download on www.memyselfandisla.podbean.com
along with Spotify and Amazon Music. If you are interested on sharing your story you can contact Isla on memyselfandislapodcast@gmail.com