Sadly, we were already in the grip of a mental health crisis caused by trends in Australian society featuring shrinking households, greater tendency to be more mobile severing old-fashioned neighbourly friendships, the rate of separation and divorce, decreasing birth rate where we compensate with more pets instead (which isn’t all bad!) and the information technology boom that has us feeling more connected than ever before but more apart from each other! Enter a pandemic then forced isolation and we ‘stack’ a sense of global fear to already high anxiety levels for many Australians. Enjoy my idea on alleviating loneliness during physical distancing (not social isolation).

Joanne Wilson is a neuropsychotherapist, relationship specialist, workshop facilitator and guest speaker. Tune into radio Salt106.5 each Friday morning for her co-host of the Morning Wakeup discussing her weekly newspaper column in the Sunshine Coast Daily.  Download your FREE relationship resources at www.relationshiprejuvenator.com