Lively Women

Social Networking Eases Stress

by Heather on June 23rd, 2006

This plate of cookies reminds me of an office I used to work in where we brought food on Fridays. I picked up some great recipes that way. There was always a birthday or some other reason to celebrate, and it was something we all looked forward to.

I’m sure from our employer’s perspective, it increased our productivity.

But what about work-at-home employees today who freelance or spend the majority of their time raising families? There can be a breakdown in social networking, and the isolation of feeling alone can lead to stress, which can lead to depression and other health disorders.

An article in today’s Washington Post, Social Isolation Growing in U.S. says:

Americans are far more socially isolated today than they were two decades ago, and a sharply growing number of people say they have no one in whom they can confide … A quarter of Americans say they have no one with whom they can discuss personal troubles, more than double the number who were similarly isolated in 1985.

Why is this? The article goes on to state some causes — Americans work longer hours and spend time commuting — but by far, the major cause was television. Only 5% of households owned a TV in 1950, whereas 95 percent did a decade later.

Being part of a social network today is important for a woman’s emotional wellness. For example, I’m interested in writing, so I’ve joined some online writing groups, and I try to make an effort to go to conferences to meet like-minded people in person.

But I can’t share a plate of cookies with online friends, so I’ve had to make a greater effort to find local friends who I can see on a regular basis. For me, I’ve found it helpful to join common-interest groups — being the only adult working at home day-after-day is not the ideal. If you find yourself in this situation, try to break up your day by getting out around people at least once a day.

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POSTED IN: Depression, Stress, Wellness