Season 2 Episode 3 - We Are Lonely: Stepping Out

How does our relationship with the world and the people around us make us lonely? And how do we fix it? Aleks, Charity, Holly and Tim are getting ready to step into the world, and find their people.  During our 20’s our relationships are changing a fair bit. Only a few years ago we were at school, we each had our school identity - sporty, academic, musical, popular. Then we left school and the world felt a bit bigger and the options for how we presented to the world expanded. Naturally, alongside those changes, a lot of our friendships might be adapting as well. There can be a lot of rethinking of who we want to be with and what we want from our relationships.  We cover a heap in this episode, from the impacts of racism to communication skills and how to have the courage to step out.   Host: Jemma Sbeg Participants: Aleks, Charity, Tim and Holly Mentors: Dr Deidre Anderson, Barry Conrad, Sean Szeps and Tessa Blencowe Experts: Professor Ian Hickie and Dr Lisa Mundy Guest - Aunty Bea Ballangarry  

Om Podcasten

Join us as we tackle the growing issue of loneliness, and our deeply human need to belong alongside huge topics like mental health, autism and discrimination. We’re seeing the issue of loneliness grow all around the world, and while we may think of loneliness as something that mainly impacts older generations, research shows that 18-34 year olds are most likely to be affected. And yes it’s sometimes to do with phones and social media, but there’s more to it than that. It’s about how we interact with the world around us. So we’ve found nine very different young adults who are searching for connection in their lives. We’ve paired them each with a mentor who’ll give them insights and strategies to combat loneliness and navigate their way beyond. From ADHD and times of transition; to migration and childhood grief; each participant will explore an area of their lives that is causing them to feel lonely. Our mentors include Ru Paul superstar, Kween Kong; Counsellor and Artist Tessa Blenclowe; Academic and Fire Dragon Feminist Dr Quah Ee Ling; and Psychologist and Podcaster James Van Cuylenburg. Our host is Human Connection Scientist, Dr Ali Walker and we also speak with World Health Organisation and University of Sydney Researcher Dr Daniel Surkalim. We Are Lonely is funded as part of Medibank’s ten year initiative to combat loneliness.