The Truth About the Loneliness Epidemic (It’s Not What You Think) with Sarah Stein Lubrano

Send us Fan MailWe hear a lot about the “loneliness epidemic,” but what if the real problem isn’t that we feel lonelier? What if it’s that we’re spending more and more of our lives alone… and slowly forgetting how to connect in the first place?This conversation with political theorist and writer Sarah Stein Lubrano absolutely blew my mind. We got into the neuroscience of what happens when we spend too much time isolated, including how our brains literally start pruning away the social skills we’re not using. Which honestly explains why texting someone back can suddenly feel like preparing for battle.Sarah shares why social interaction is a little bit like exercise. Most of us don’t feel like doing it beforehand, but we almost always feel better afterward. We talk about the surprising research on talking to strangers, why introverts probably still need more connection than they think, and how our increasingly individualistic lives might be affecting everything from happiness to democracy itself.We also got into the hidden risk that keeps people isolated. It’s not laziness. It’s fear. Fear of awkwardness, rejection, inconvenience, vulnerability, or just feeling weird for knocking on someone’s door. The less we practice connection, the riskier connection starts to feel.And honestly, this episode changed me a little. Since recording it, I joined a French conversation group, a women’s finance group, and started going to karaoke at the Legion here on Salt Spring. And guess what? Every single time I leave my cozy little house and force myself into the world, something good happens.Turns out humans might actually need other humans after all.What’s Inside:Why we’re spending more time alone without necessarily feeling lonelierHow social isolation changes the brain and weakens social skills over timeThe surprising science behind talking to strangers and why it boosts happinessWhy rebuilding community matters for our health, relationships, and even democracyThis episode made me realize that connection isn’t something that magically happens. It’s something we practice, maintain, and sometimes awkwardly fight for. DM me on Instagram and tell me: what’s one small social risk you want to start taking again? Mentioned in This Episode:Sarah Stein LubranoSarah Stein Lubrano on InstagramOonagh Duncan on InstagramFit Feels GoodLeave me a voice note on Speak Pipe!