Motivations for Being a Good Neighbor: Overcoming Loneliness (2 in a series of 4)

 

Where neighbors share a sense of community, residents are more likely to feel safe and secure and have a lower fear of crime than those without a sense of community. People living in connected neighborhoods feel healthier and are happier about their lives and are more likely to vote and help others by volunteering. For these reasons and many more, being a good neighbor and connecting with others on your block improves the neighborhood and helps you personally. 

Neighborliness is not a special talent - it is a decision! Anyone can be a good neighbor —it just takes a little initiative, but the rewards make it worthwhile. Neighborhoods with a higher sense of community enjoy a higher quality of life. 

So please do it for yourself and your family.

Motivation for action can vary widely among humans. But there seem to be four major motivators for individuals to begin reaching and loving their neighbors.

Overcoming Loneliness

Researchers say it is the quality of our social interaction, not the quantity, that best foretells loneliness, a condition that is literally killing us. 

Lonely people are more likely to be obese and experience memory loss, dementia, inflammation, depression, sleep disorders and heart conditions. 

Lonely people are less likely to exercise or even survive a surgery. Loneliness increases levels of stress hormones. It impacts how long we live and how often we are sick.

· 25% of people say they have no one with whom they can discuss important matters

· 35% of all adults over 45 are chronically lonely – a 75% increase in the last ten years.

· You may have 338 Facebook friends, but the average human is capable of intimately knowing only about 150 people. Those extra 188 people filling up her feed are actually making her feel more lonely, not less. Research shows that passive scrolling of social media with the occasional “like” or comment increases feelings of loneliness.

Social networks are a symptom of our need for relationships, they are not the solution.

The solution is found smack dab in the middle of your neighborhood – the original social network – a convenience, comfortable, and non-threatening place to move from virtual friendships to real relationships. 

What would happen if we used our knuckles instead of our thumbs to communicate by knocking on our neighbors doors?

MORE INFORMATION

Does this article make you interested in taking the Engaged Neighbor pledge? Five categories and 20 principles to guide you toward becoming an engaged neighbor. Sign the pledge online at http://engagedneighbor.com.

Contact the blog author, David L. Burton at dburton541@yahoo.com.