The pandemic of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) affected everyone differently. We are all involved with the virus and it has an effect on the protection of our families, friends and colleagues. Before COVID-19, social isolation and loneliness were a silent scourge in our network. Today, these emotions of loneliness are compounded by a desire for social distance to stem the rampant spread of the virus. It is very transparent that organizations such as the YMCA, senior centers, churches and others want to provide even more opportunities for others in our network to join others and form strong relationships.
A recent SocialPro study found that 30% of respondents still or feel more alone due to the pandemic. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 35 million other people live in a single-person household, an increase of 16% to 28% between 1969 and 2019. In the context, many more people feel the effects of loneliness as a result of a loss. layoffs, casualties and new remote frame situations.
While no one is immune to loneliness, certain segments of the population are at risk. Of the 76 million baby boomers in the United States, only one in 4 is expected to age, meaning that up to 19 million older people would likely face dangers of physical, intellectual and emotional fitness related to isolation. (AARP and YMCA are running in combination to see what can be done to stop this isolation).
A 2019 survey of 1,254 young adults found that 27% of millennials say they have no close friends, 25% have no “knowledge” and 22% have few or no friends. Three out of ten millennials are still or lonely, according to a survey through YouGov, a London-based studio and study firm.
In all generations, out of every 10 respondents reported increased anxiety as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
What is the effect on the paintings? Gallup found that having a more productive friend in painting leads to higher performance. For example, their painters’ participation database shows that only two out of 10 American painters fully agree that they have a more productive friend in painting. By raising this proportion to six in 10, organizations can reduce security incidents by 36%; 7% more committed customers; and a profit of 12%.
Today, local organizations such as the YMCA, senior centers, churches, and other local nonprofit organizations recognize the growing need for opportunities for others to connect. Greater Cleveland’s YMCA gives these ideas:
Exercise and socialize in a supportive environment. Many employers inspire and inspire their workers to exercise. Exercising for 20 to 30 minutes a day can reduce anxiety and increase endorphin and serotonin levels in the brain.
Although painting can be an individual activity, it can also be a social activity. For example, the 11 YMCA branches in the Cleveland metropolitan area will serve the organization, both indoors and outdoors, while meeting the strict standards of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the local fitness department. Employees can also paint with our instructors to set up a stylish virtual fitness organization with colleagues without leaving home. The Y also offers virtual organization systems for weight loss, blood pressure tracking and more.
Participate in acts of service. Volunteering is an easy way to meet people. Although COVID-19 has limited volunteering opportunities, it has not eliminated them. Business Volunteers Unlimited, serving the Greater Cleveland and Akron regions, provides a list of virtual volunteer opportunities in its resource center. Volunteers can also safely scale up at nonprofits to help serve food, help with gardening, or provide help for a blood donation.
We thank our Y staff and volunteers across the country who continue to help communities manage the COVID-19 pandemic. As the New York Times reported on the Y, “2600 outposts were remodeled in the first wave of illness in civic centers, concerned about the youth of emergency medical technicians, doctors and other must-have staff when day care centers closed. homeless people, when escaping from view may mean a silent death.”
The silent risk to our society of the disorders of social isolation and loneliness is very real. Greater Cleveland’s YMCA is one of the nonprofits that is in a position to help you and your circle of family members as we all continue to face the demanding situations of COVID-19.
Hilk is president and chief executive officer of greater Cleveland’s YMCA.
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