Category Archives: Wellness

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The Week Explores the Global Loneliness Epidemic

Loneliness epidemic represented by man walking alone

Studies show the continued growth in the number of people who are lonely, which has reached epidemic levels in many countries.

Recently, my wife, Katie, and I had the opportunity to teach a Connection Culture Workshop for the Institute for Management Studies in Columbus, Ohio. Mary Held, head of IMS Columbus, made us aware of this outstanding brief on the global loneliness epidemic published by The Week. I encourage you to read the brief and consider the steps you could take to reduce loneliness in your workplace and community.

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New Forbes Article on How Loneliness And Longing For Connection Are Affecting Today’s Leaders

Isolated businessman who is suffering from burnout

Loneliness isn’t something that people like to acknowledge, but it’s a real issue for many people today. Many leaders are so busy that they don’t even realize that they are in fact lonely. That’s a problem because loneliness is a “super stressor” that makes it difficult to perform at your best.

In a new article that I wrote for Forbes, I describe how loneliness is affecting today’s leaders and why we all need to take steps to address the issue in our lives and organizations. I hope you’ll read the article and consider ways you can boost connection in your workplace.

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Are You Suffering from Today’s #1 Performance Blind Spot?

Woman with hands over eyes representing blind spot

Years ago, I worked on a very difficult project. For one year, I put in long hours at the office and even when I was home my mind was on the challenges to be overcome. It crowded out time for family and friends. My performance failed to reflect the effort being put in. After a year, I lost hope the project would be embraced by enough key stakeholders that it could meet its objectives, and eventually I left the firm because my health was suffering. 

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You’re More Vulnerable to Isolation and Stress Than You Think

Check out my new article in Government Executive on the perils of isolation and stress. Unfortunately, most people are unaware of the devastating effects of stress and isolation that I write about in the article, including that it’s harming their health and performance. The article is titled “You’re More Vulnerable to Isolation and Stress Than You Think.” If you know someone who may be struggling with this, please forward the article to them.

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Is the “Silent Killer” Sabotaging Your Performance?

Lonely woman looking out window

Is your energy level lower than you’d like? Do you feel you’re not performing at the top of your game? Are you so busy that it has crowded out time to truly connect with trusted confidants? If the answer to these questions is “yes,” you may be suffering from the effects of the “silent killer” of individuals, and it may also be holding back your performance and the performance of your organization. 

I recently had the opportunity to speak on The Small Business Advocate radio program hosted by Jim Blasingame. We discussed new research that indicates over half of Americans express a tendency toward loneliness and how companies can respond. Listen to our two-part conversation.

Date: May 22, 2018
Appearance: Interview with Jim Blasingame on America’s Loneliness Epidemic
Outlet: The Small Business Advocate
Format: Radio
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Interview with New York City’s WCBS Newsradio

This week, New York City’s WCBS Newsradio 880AM is playing excerpts from an interview I did with daytime host Pat Farnack for her “Health and Wellbeing Report.” In the interview Pat and I discuss the impact of loneliness on health, the performance of individuals, and how loneliness leads to self defeating behaviors and makes acts of violence more likely. Listen to the full interview here.