An Antidote to Isolation and Loneliness

By: Rachel Gilbertson, guest blogger and Regional Child and Family Wellbeing Program Manager with the Carlton-Cook-Lake-St. Louis Community Health Board. 

United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy recently named loneliness, isolation, and lack of connection a public health crisis. These feelings are not just personal struggles—they have a profound impact on our collective wellbeing.  

At the heart of this crisis is a need for connection. We as people want to feel that our lives matter and that we are seen, heard, and valued. While we may never fully grasp the ripple effects our lives have on others, our ability to communicate can be a powerful antidote to isolation because:  

• Practicing presence creates connection.  

• Showing that someone is seen, heard, and valued creates trust.  

• Stating strengths creates empowerment.  

Think about a time when you were talking with someone that was distracted or when something you shared was minimized or criticized. How did that feel? 

Now think about a time that you were met with presence and were validated and appreciated. How did that feel?

Conversations are opportunities for presence, validation, and empowerment. 

In Public Health work, we say things like “meet you where you’re at” and “walk alongside you,” but what does that really mean?  

In Family Home Visiting, Public Health Nurses partner with families on their parenting journeys. They literally meet families where they are, at home or anywhere they feel most comfortable. They also meet them where they are emotionally. They take the time to see from the parent’s perspective, listen to understand, and elevate their strengths. This also supports attunement, attachment, and bonding between parent and child. 

Public health nurses walk alongside families, sometimes physically by taking a stroll in a nearby park, but also on their path to being the parent they want to be. Public health nurses view the parent as the expert of their own life, supporting them in the next steps they see for their families. They help connect parents with wanted resources, support their goals and aspirations, weigh and measure baby and celebrate the literal and figurative growth and gains along the way.  

Speaking of measurement, in Public Health, we are often asked to prove impact. The ripple effects of presence, validation, and empowerment can be difficult to track, yet we feel their value when we experience them ourselves. And we know that fostering these positive experiences with families has a lifelong effect on the wellbeing of children. We all possess the power to positively impact others in the way we communicate, because each of our lives and the work we do matters. 

Learn more about our regional Family Home Visiting Program.