With Christmas but a few days away, it’s natural that people’s thoughts turn to family and friends, and what their plans are for the holidays. But this time of year can be very difficult for many who don’t have that support network in place for whatever reason.

It’s often thought that loneliness is something that only affects older people, but new research has just revealed that younger generations can often suffer in this way as well – which may be being overlooked.

According to the SunLife study, those under the age of 40 are three times more likely to feel constantly lonely, while 16 per cent of people admit that they feel lonely either most or all of the time. Furthermore, 83 per cent believe that isolation and loneliness issues have become worse over time, with 42 per cent blaming social media for heightened feelings of isolation.

Head of brand at the company Ian Atkinson said: “Working alongside The Campaign to End Loneliness, we hope to encourage people to think about someone who might be feeling lonely this Christmas  – maybe an older relative or neighbour (a quarter of us wish we knew our neighbours better) –  to put pen to paper and write something personal.”

If you are feeling anxious, depressed or stressed at this time of year, why not look into mindfulness training in the UK? This can really help to clear any worried thoughts you might have, leaving you free to enjoy the festive season. Get in touch with us at Excellence Assured to find out more.