Wellness Unmasked Weekly Rundown: Simple Ideas to Fight Holiday Loneliness and Boost Well-Being

Dr. Nicole Saphier unpacks why loneliness spikes around Thanksgiving and how it affects both mental and physical health. She explains the science behind chronic loneliness, why it’s more common than people think, and how small, intentional actions can make the holidays more meaningful. Dr. Saphier shares practical strategies—like initiating unexpected outreach, creating personal holiday rituals, and practicing small acts of generosity—to strengthen connection and improve overall well-being. Her insights offer a compassionate, community-focused roadmap for anyone looking to overcome loneliness and build resilience during the holiday season. Wellness Unmasked is part of the Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Podcast Network - new episodes debut every Tuesday & Friday. 

 

Follow Clay & Buck on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/clayandbuck

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to wellness on Mass. I'm not going to pull
sapphire and this is your wamily Rundown. I hope everyone
had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I know I certainly did. It
was a little bit more low key than usual. In fact,
this was my first Thanksgiving where I didn't make my
own turkey because our kitchen is under construction. While I
do miss the whole process, I can tell you seeing
as I worked the day before Thanksgiving and I'm here

(00:26):
again today after Thanksgiving, I can tell you that prepping cleanup,
I do not miss it. So I was glad to
kind of give that to someone else this year. Now,
Thanksgiving is supposed to be the season of gratitude, you know,
full tables, lots of food, loud families, But the reality
is it's a lot less picture perfect for some. And

(00:46):
in fact, according to the US Surgeon General, over half
of American adults report feeling lonely on a regular basis,
and this only gets worse throughout the holiday season. Half
of adults. That means what, Whether you're sitting at a
crowded table or eating reheated leftovers, loneliness can show up
in surprising ways. And I know we joke about that

(01:08):
feeling of fomo fear of missing out, but that feeling
that the world is passing you by is real and
it's not just a feelings conversation. Loneliness affects our biology.
Chronic loneliness actually increases our stress hormones, which can worsen inflammation,
impact cardiovascular health. And yes, it even disrupts our dopamine pathways.

(01:32):
You know, those feel good pathways, the same pathways responsible
for motivation, pleasure, and reward. In other words, loneliness literally
drains your brain's natural feel good chemistry. But here's the
good news, connection can restore it. Dopamine isn't just boosted
by big, dramatic life events. It responds to small, intentional

(01:56):
moments of meaning. So for this Thanksgiving week, I want
to share are three simple and of course science backed
ways you can reduce loneliness in yourself and by the way,
you can help others do the same. So let's not
wait until the actual holiday to reach out to people
Thanksgiving as past us, we don't have to wait until

(02:17):
Hanukkah or Christmas to reach out to someone. Why don't
you just shoot them a text today? Yeah, right now?
To someone you haven't talked to in a while, A
simple hey, thinking about you this week? That's enough. Studies
show that unexpected outreach creates a bigger dopamine boost than
interactions someone anticipates. On Christmas Day, you expect the random

(02:38):
text messages from your friend from high school, Hey, Merry Christmas,
but you don't expect it today. It's the element of
surprise that can actually light up the brain's reward center.
And guess what, Not only does it light up their
reward center for receiving that text message, it boosts your
dopamine too, because giving connection is just as powerful as

(02:58):
receiving connection. Now let's talk about my number two. Let's
create a micro tradition. Not everyone has a big family table,
not everybody wants one, but everyone can have a tradition,
even a tiny one. Maybe it's a morning gratitude walk,
a favorite recipe, writing down one thing you're proud of
this year, or inviting a neighbor for coffee. Micro traditions

(03:21):
create predictability and meaning, and the brain loves both. They
activate the same dopamine pathways triggered by long term goal setting,
without the stress of big commitments. My family, we put
up the Christmas tree and redecorate it right after Thanksgiving.
So I'm in the hospital working all day today, but
this weekend we're certainly going to do that. So we're

(03:42):
going to follow that tradition and hopefully that lights up
my dopamine pathway as well as my famili's. And now
my third tip, low lift. Act of generosity. Now I'm
not talking about you know, like donating a kidney or
all of your money to someone. I meaning something small
that can shift someone else's day by like five percent.

(04:04):
Drop off a pie to a friend, call an older
relative who may not get a lot of visitors. Invite
someone to join you for dessert, even if they can't
stay for dinner. Acts of generosity release dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin.
These are your brain's natural happiness. Cocktail generosity is one
of the most reliable antidotes to loneliness we have. So

(04:27):
if you're out shopping today and you see the police
officers or security officers or whoever who are standing guard
to keep you safe, why don't you go up to them,
say hi, say thank you, buy them a cup of coffee.
I promise you not only will that do a ton
for them, it'll do a ton for you too. So
as we head into the whole holiday season, let's remember

(04:50):
this loneliness isn't a holiday failure. It's actually just a
human experience. And if you are feeling moments of loneliness,
you're not alone. Of adults are probably feeling it too
in one way, shape or form, and connection in any
form is a powerful treatment. Reach Out to people early,
create something small and meaningful, and do one kind thing

(05:12):
this week that no one asked you to do. Your
brain and someone else's brain will thank you. I'm doctor
Nicole Saffire. This is Wellness Unmass, your weekly rundown. Please
listen anywhere you can get your podcasts iHeartRadio and we
will pet you next time.