#134 Beating the loneliness epidemic with Jo Carnegie

“Hi there. Black americano please. Thank you.”

When Jo Carnegie realised that these seven words were the only ones she’d often say in a whole day it hit her hard.

After all, Jo was a successful writer and journalist, living the dream in vibrant Bristol and freelancing from cafés, co-working spaces and her cosy flat. She had loads of friends and a loving family.

So why was she so lonely?

That’s the question that prompted Jo to delve into what’s fast becoming a modern epidemic.

Whilst those of us in the gig economy - from freelancers to entrepreneurs - might be familiar with the feeling of isolation that working from home can bring, loneliness in the traditional workplace is a real thing too.

And it’s a phenomenon that’s only getting worse.

How many times have you emailed a colleague instead of picking up the phone? Had a Slack conversation when you could have chatted over a brew?

One of the hardest things to deal with is to be surrounded by people and yet feel deeply lonely. I know, because I’ve been there. That’s why I knew I had to have this conversation with Jo about how to recognise loneliness and what to do about it.

“Don’t ever think that when you’re feeling lonely, there’s something wrong with you. It’s showing you there’s something right with you.” - Jo Carnegie

It’s hard admitting you needmore real-life contact in your day, especially when everyone else seems so busy. But social media can be deceptive, because chances are others are just as lonely as you.

I’m so grateful for this conversation with Jo. In it, she breaks the taboo surrounding loneliness with love and humour, and gives us steps we can take to build more connection both at work and at home.

So please watch this episode and then reach out and connect, or reconnect with someone you care about. We need to talk about loneliness: by sharing this video you could get the ball rolling and make all the difference.

You’re not alone in this,

Mark

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IN THIS WEEK’S EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN

  • How Jo Carnegie moved from romantic fiction (or ‘bonkbusting’) to wellbeing

  • Why working in loneliness isn’t depressing, but uplifting

  • When writer’s block struck, what Jo did instead

  • The massive need we all have for physical proximity and touch

  • Why human contact is the New Five A Day

  • How we’re becoming shyer and why the phone is like a giant adult pacifier

  • The power of putting your phone down and having fun or looking out of the window (even at work!)

  • Why making time for chit chat can make for huge productivity

  • Why some men prefer to exchange voice notes on WhatsApp than have a live conversation

  • Why Mark says London is the loneliest place he’s lived

  • The consequences of phasing out the old fashioned phone call

  • The problem of not knowing where people are any more

  • What you can do to reach out to a friend you think is lonely without insulting them

  • What the flipside to loneliness is, and how it can work wonders for your productivity and happiness

  • How to support The Uncoventionalists AND improve your health by shopping at Vivo Life with our very own discount code

  • How to get your place on Mark Leruste’s legendary podcasting masterclass and go from nought to launch without wasting any more time


SHOWNOTES:


SPONSORS

 This week’s episode of The Unconventionalists podcast was brought to you by:

  • Hands down the best nutritional supplements Mark has ever used (they could be his superpower) Vivo Life: http://bit.ly/2LnXa74 - Use code "mark" to get 10% off your first order

  • Launch A Successful Podcast From Scratch (Online Masterclass):  https://theunconventionalists.com/launch-a-successful-podcast-from-scratch - Use code "PODCASTTRIBE" to get 20% off the entire course. You won’t regret it. “This guy is a podcasting master, trust me! Grab a spot ASAP.” - Samantha Clarke


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