It’s that time of year when you and I start thinking about ways to be healthier. But eating clean, losing the extra holiday weight, and exercising more isn’t enough anymore. What I’m about to share with you may surprise you.

Health studies show in order to remain healthy, we must take steps to live less lonely.

There is a serious health risk today in our country that consists of isolating and failing to connect socially with others at a deeper level and it is increasing your chance of dementia by 50 percent and your chance of premature death by more than 60 percent!  It is actually unhealthy for you and me to be lonely today—mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and now physically, regardless of our age. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, the long-term health risks of this “epidemic of loneliness” are equivalent to the danger of smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day!

Add to that our increased technology and post-COVID isolation habits, along with an increasing reliance on our devices while we experience less human interaction and touch than at any other time in history, and we could be one of those statistics without even realizing it.

In my newest book, The New Loneliness, not only do I explain how we got to this place in our anxiety-ridden digital age, but I point out strategies for reaching out to God, discovering our purpose, and nurturing meaningful connections with others when we feel isolated. Here are three simple ways to start doing  that and living healthier and less lonelier this year:

1. Remember God is with you.

During the Christmas season, we heard and sang about Emmanuel—God with us. But that isn’t just a once-a-year Christmas sentiment. It is our day-to-day reality throughout the year as well. God with us does not mean God who once lived before us. Nor does it mean God who will someday be with us or God from a distance. But, God with us here and now and forevermore.

Jesus, and His indwelling Holy Spirit, represent God with us—in everything we struggle through, everything we think we can’t do, everything we fear or worry about.

If you are trusting in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation, God’s Spirit literally dwells within you, empowering you when you confess your sins and yield your life to Him. When you begin to feel that you are alone and that no one understands or cares, the first step is to remember that the Spirit of God is always with you.

2. Release to God Your past hurts.

We are all wounded in some way and left with scars of betrayal, abandonment, broken relationships, insecurity, or wondering if we are really loved for who we are. These scars can cover longtime hurts we didn’t know we had, and keep us from developing deeper friendships with others. Sometimes, out of a fear of being hurt, we keep those who extend toward us at a distance and thus find it easier to text than talk, or communicate via a screen rather than face to face.

I encourage you to release to God your past hurts, insecurities, and feelings of inadequacy—all which can interfere with enjoying healthy relationships with others. You can do this by asking God to help you trust Him first and foremost, and give you the ability to trust others as well. Talking with a trusted friend may also help. Ask her to pray with you as you surrender to God certain hurts that may still be affecting who you are today. Remember, He is the God who makes who makes all things new—even you! (2 Corinthians 5:17).

3. Reacquaint yourself with your God-given purpose.

When you reconnect—or start to really connect—with God through His Word and a focus on His character, you’ll find your value in Him. You’ll also discover the priority and purpose He set for your life—the one thing you’re all about—to love Him with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love others as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39). When we are reminded we exist to love God and enjoy Him forever, and to live in honest and loving community with others, it takes our focus off of ourselves and our loneliness. It helps us realize we are here for a reason and it’s not solely to receive from others. Our purpose is ultimately to serve our Lord and others and glorify Him in the process.

Ephesians 2:10 says “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (NASB). Start thinking about how you can live your purpose by loving and serving others.

In the coming weeks I’ll give you three more ways to live less lonely (and therefore, more healthy) in the new year. For now, which one of these  three steps will you be focusing on? Let me know in the comment section below so I can be praying for you.

And don’t forget to order The New Loneliness: Nurturing Meaningful Connections When You Feel Isolated now at Amazon at its lowest price this season.