A 90-Year-Old Pens Tips on Battling Loneliness After Losing His Wife and Sister

Loneliness.

We’ve all been there (especially for the single set on Sundays; am I right?).

Most people have experienced the feeling of being lonely as hell in an increasingly digital world of dwindling in-person interactions and deep connections. Loneliness is a very real thing and can lead to things like depression and even substance abuse (I’ve seen it happen).

When 90-year-old Derek Taylor’s partner and sister passed away he became incredibly lonely, with nobody to talk to. As many of us know from our own grandparents, as you get older your friends inevitably dwindle.

So, he decided to take matters into his own hands (no, he didn’t join a dating app).

“I thought, what can I do to stop being lonely?” said Taylor, who is Manchester based, in a BBC interview. “The older you get, the less people seem to contact you.”

So, he wrote a list on how to battle loneliness, which he shared with the Manchester City Council. The organization then put them in a leaflet about the city’s “Age-Friendly” outreach work.

list

It’s valuable advice for people of all ages – and advice that worked for Taylor.

He now enjoys a social calendar that’s busier than that of any 20-year-olds. He joined coffee clubs and became active in his local community with things like gardening and resource generation. He has a large network of newfound friends.

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A recent study revealed that being around loved ones could actually be the key to a longer life for senior citizens. So, you may want to give your grandparents a call (or, at least, forward them Taylor’s list).

Cover Image: BBC. 

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