From Isolation to Connection: Beating Post-COVID Loneliness Through Food and Fitness

Hiking with Friends

Moving from Social Isolation Towards Connection

Life has become more challenging in new ways since the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the more serious drawbacks has been the increase of social isolation, loneliness, and the general uptick of anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders. 

As the quarantines and social distancing has diminished, we haven’t returned to normal social functioning. We, our families, and our social lives in general have suffered because of it. We can’t simply wait for things to go back to “normal” either. It’s been 5 years. It is time that we make some more serious efforts to get back out there, and create the social connections we so desperately need. 

I recommend we turn back to our roots. And make efforts to engage socially and mindfully in what humans have done together since the beginning of time. Paraphrasing the words of physical therapist Dr. Kelly Starrett, the two things flourishing humans have always done is 1) eat together, and 2) move together. 

Eating with Family

Eating Together

Humans love to eat—and we’ve become very adept at it. Over the centuries we’ve managed to make food increasingly available, calorically dense, and very, VERY tasty. The problem with food has become less about ‘can we get enough of it?’ and more about ‘can we eat in wholesome, healthy ways?’ 

Making sure that we eat together can help us to move in the right direction when it comes to our relationship with food. People that eat together tend to eat fewer calories and more vegetables—two things that most of us should work to improve. 

Perhaps more importantly, when we eat together we’re able to talk, relax, and enjoy quality time with those close to us. For many of us, the key to getting the most out of eating together is remaining present with the experience. 

When conversation isn’t bubbly or interesting, or if we finish eating before others,  it’s easy to turn to our phones which offer continuous escape from boredom. Committing to stay present as we share meals is one step closer to avoiding loneliness and depression and gaining a sense of belonging, peace, and relational purpose. 

Moving in Unision

Moving Together

Many of the “happy hormones” that get released when humans spend time together are also released when we exercise. When we exercise together with others, it creates a virtuous cycle, buffering us against anxiety and depression. Having a gym buddy or running partner, then, is about more than physical safety—it provides emotional safety as well. 

If simply having an exercise buddy can help fortify us against mental illness, just imagine the benefits of group exercise. People who exercise regularly in a group often refer to that group as their “tribe.” It’s a community where people feel they belong. These tribes are so tight knit that when one person is missing, everyone else knows and reaches out like family.

I initially found my movement “tribe” as a youth in swim team. It was the most athletic thing I had ever done up to that point in my life, and it was hard, painful even. In hindsight, it was the friendships that made it fun and worth the struggle as we grew stronger as individuals and as a team. Later, I found various tribes in dance. 

The dance tribes I’ve been in throughout the years have been unique. Imagine moving in unison with those around you, synchronizing your steps to your favorite song. 

The feeling is intoxicating. Ever heard of music therapy? You’ve probably experienced some of its joys jamming in the car to the radio.

If exercise is good for us, and doing it with others is better, just think of the power of adding music and rhythm to the mix. Cultures around the world recognize this power and have put dance and group movement at the center of many of their sacred rites and celebratory traditions. 

Movement traditions matter. They bring people together. Everyone knows that exercise is part of a healthy lifestyle, but movement is so much more than developing physical strength and endurance.

It’s how we connect to one another. It’s part of how we maintain health and wellbeing in all dimensions of life—mental, physical, emotional, and even spiritual.

Consider your daily routine: are you eating and moving regularly with others? If not, start now! Take a dance or yoga class. Play ball with the kids. Find or build your tribe.