WHY SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE ARE LONELY
DoingWhat He Ca Serve the Local Co
And How to Stop It
WHY WALT TARRANT LOVES WORKING AT J
Given the choice between an elderly person living alone in the countryside and a young recent college graduate living in a major metro area, who do you think would have a greater chance of experiencing loneliness?
For Walt Tarrant, working for Johnson Law Group is all about helping the community around him— his neighbors. He’d always wanted to pursue a career in law, ever since he was young. Then, after studying government and history in high school and college, Walt found himself working as a paralegal for a law practice that had clients all over the country. Luckily, a friend of his worked at Johnson Law Group. That eventually drew Walt to an opportunity working as a paralegal for our firm, and we are very glad he is with us! Day to day, Walt assists Attorney Yasaman Saeedasr with her clients and case management needs. If there is a way Walt can make it easier for Yasaman to help her clients, Walt makes sure to get it done. “I try to put myself in the attorney’s shoes and think about what’s needed to best help our clients,” Walt said.
While many seniors do suffer from loneliness, you may be surprised to learn that people in their 20s and 30s experience loneliness today more than any other age group. In fact, the post-college years are when loneliness peaks despite opportunities to interact with others in the workplace or other social environments. A Front Row Seat to Everyone’s Highlight Reel When you view someone’s social media, chances are you’re seeing a “highlight reel” of their life. When you compare your behind- the-scenes footage to that highlight reel, it can leave you feeling unaccomplished and isolated, which further leads to loneliness. Given that millennials are very involved with social media, it’s no wonder their age group is lonelier. The Post-Dorm Friendship Drought Even before the advent of social media, people moved away from the conditions that created friendships when they left their college dorms. According to sociologists in a 1978 study, there are three conditions that lead to making friends: “proximity, repeated and unplanned interactions, and settings that encourage people to let their guard down.” Young people are much less likely to come across these conditions in their lives after college. How to Fix It Loneliness isn’t easy to tackle. It takes time and effort to alleviate, and it starts with actively looking for opportunities to form relationships with other people. It can be scary putting yourself out there, but you might be surprised by how accepting other people can be. Rejection is always a possibility, but so is the remedy to your loneliness. You’ll never know how many future friends you may have until you get out and look around for them!
For Walt, the most rewarding part of his job is getting to help people through some of the most difficult times of their lives. Many of
FIGHT S Start Taking Vitamin D
Do you get SAD? We’re talking about seasonal affective disorder, which affects 1%–10% of the population depending
on the state you live in. Symptoms of SAD are similar to symptoms of depression, but unlike chronic depression, which can occur at any time, people with SAD only experience symptoms during a certain time of year, usually winter. SAD has been strongly linked with shorter days and less sun — although summertime SAD can result from long days that make sleep difficult, resulting in irritability and mood swings. In most cases, however, winter is the problem season, likely due to a link between less sun and a vitamin D deficiency. Depression is one common symptom of vitamin D deficiency, especially in patients who aren’t prone to depression due to other circumstances. Unfortunately, very few foods are good sources of vitamin D. The best source is sunlight itself.
There are a few ways to combat wintertime SAD. Establishing a regular sleep schedule is important, as is an exercise routine and healthy diet. As mentioned, it’s
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