Who knew there was a “National Cheer Up the Lonely Day”? I certainly didn’t until just recently. It originated in Detroit Michigan by quiet & kind Francis Pesek. His idea was to have such a day to remind people specifically to be kind to the lonely. One man with one idea that caught on. Now, on July 11th every year, this day is celebrated in the USA and many other countries. One might ask, why only the lonely? Well you have to start somewhere! National Cheer Up the Lonely Day encourages us to bring joy and cheer into the lives of those who are struggling with loneliness.
The Campaign to End Loneliness states “Loneliness can affect anyone. Experiences of loneliness can vary, but its effects can be profound and wide-ranging. It is considered by many to be one of the largest public health challenges we face.”
In 2022, 49.63% of adults (25.99 million people) in the UK reported feeling lonely occasionally, sometimes, often, or always [1]
Approximately 7.1% of people in Great Britain (3.83 million) experience chronic loneliness, meaning they feel lonely ‘often or always’ [2].
This has risen from 6% (3.24 million) in 2020, indicating that there has not been a return to pre-pandemic levels of loneliness [2].
Types of loneliness
Emotional loneliness – 'the absence of meaningful relationships'
Social loneliness – a 'perceived deficit in the quality of social connections'
Existential loneliness – a 'feeling of fundamental separateness from others and the wider world.'
Please be kind to someone today even if they are not lonely. Heck, I’ll go out on a limb here & suggest we be kind to everyone every day!
-Maureen Condon, CSJ Associate
Header Image: Unsplash/Ante Hamersmit