Loneliness Awareness Week

Being alone and feeling alone can be two very different experiences altogether. Loneliness can manifest in various stages, events, and occurrences in our lives – even when we are surrounded by others. Life’s experiences and stages where we may be vulnerable to feeling lonely can include going through a break-up, bereavement, becoming a parent, moving to a new city or place, developing a chronic illness, suffering from declining physical or mental health, or even starting university.

Loneliness can affect any one of us at any point in our lives, which is a small part of why Loneliness Awareness Week was launched to raise awareness of this matter whilst trying to reduce the stigma and silence that often surrounds loneliness as an individual and wider social experience. This year, loneliness awareness week commences from the 15^th of June to the 21^st of June. Whether you or someone you know is experiencing loneliness or feeling alone in what they may be going through, there is help and support out there. Edinburgh Napier University also offers a wide range of resources and services to support students and staff who may be struggling with loneliness and their mental health as a result.

How ENU can support students and staff…

Loneliness as a feeling and emotion is very complex and subjective. It is fundamental when an individual feels an uncomfortable absence of their desired level of social connection and belonging. All age groups and demographics are at risk – if prolonged or chronic, it also carries an increased risk and susceptibility of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and various other chronic illnesses. This is fundamentally because prolonged periods of loneliness and isolation can significantly elevate cortisol levels and negatively affect your immune system and sleep. Edinburgh Napier University recognises the severe impact that loneliness can have on our student and staff community, particularly on physical health and wellbeing. If you are struggling with loneliness and even your mental health as a result, here are some ways in which we can help:

• Edinburgh Napier Students Association (ENSA): ENSA is Edinburgh Napier University’s student union. Every student registered and enrolled with us is automatically a member as well. Through ENSA, you can join societies and sports clubs, and get tickets for any upcoming ENSA events. It’s a great way to meet new people and engage with the wider student community, and maybe even build your own! They also offer opportunities for growth and personal development, such as the chance to become a part of the student council, a student representative or even a co-president. Visit the ENSA Homepage for more information.
• Wellbeing and Inclusion Team: More often than not, experiencing loneliness and feeling isolated is not plain sailing, and deeper internal or external factors may be at play. These can range from financial and health issues to caring responsibilities and many other complex reasons, which you may feel alone in experiencing and feel like you have no one to talk to about. Our university counsellors, as well as our wellbeing and inclusion team, are here to listen and offer a wide variety of support if you are struggling with mental health, personal circumstances or academic pressure. Find out more about available help and support on our Wellbeing Support and Inclusion My Napier webpages.

How the library can help…

Edinburgh Napier University libraries have a range of resources that can support your wellbeing. Our Wellbeing Collection is curated to offer a vast range of materials and resources covering topics such as depression, anxiety, stress management, finances, neurodiversity, relationships, university life, and more. In our Wellbeing Collection Libguide, loneliness appears as a subcategory under Mental Wellbeing, and it reveals recommended reads, a podcast recommendation, and a website that can be borrowed or accessed institutionally. Whilst social connection and community significantly alleviate loneliness, sometimes reading or listening to someone else’s story, experiences, or perspectives can make you feel less alone, particularly if you are going through similar experiences, circumstances and stages of life. This page of our LibGuide also points students and staff to useful contacts and helplines such as TogetherAll and Breathing Space.

Some of the recommended titles we have on loneliness are as follows:

• The cure for loneliness: how to feel connected and escape isolation. Howatt, William A. author. 2021. Available at Craiglockhart Wellbeing Collection.
• Lonely: learning to live with solitude. White, Emily, 1980- author. First Harper Perennial edition.; 2011. Available at Merchiston Wellbeing Collection.

To facilitate group study and encourage collaboration, Edinburgh Napier University campus libraries also offer a mix of social and silent study spaces. We also have bookable study rooms which can accommodate more than one person. These study rooms can be booked through Resource Booker.

Combatting loneliness whilst living away from home…

As well as A – Z of Societies ran by ENSA, the City of Edinburgh often has a wide range of social clubs and events focused on bringing people together and fostering a sense of community within the city. There are a wide range of book clubs, such as the Edinburgh Book and Pudding Club, Brunswick Book Club, Chapter 25 Book Club and many more that are often hosted by public libraries and independent book retailers. There are also many sports clubs and fitness classes hosted within the city, such as running clubs, yoga classes and walking groups. Social groups such as Go&Glow are wellness and wellbeing clubs that host weekly socials, often featuring a leisurely, creative, or fitness-oriented activity. All of these social groups and community events are fundamentally a great way to meet new people, particularly if you have moved to Edinburgh from another city or place.

By Rachel Downie

Have a look at our wellbeing collection today