For my holiday special this year, when so many of us are surrounded by family and friends, I wanted to tackle loneliness.
The World Health Organization has declared loneliness a global health threat — as bad for your health as smoking fifteen cigarettes a day.
Loneliness is the greatest preventable risk factor for depression, addiction and suicidality and increases the chance of early death by 30%, greater than the risk of obesity, sedentary lifestyle and excessive drinking.
Loneliness also increases the risk of heart disease, dementia and diabetes.
My guest this week is Peter Bombaci. Peter is on a mission to make the world a happier and healthier place by eradicating lonelliness. Our show was taped in front of a live audience of Managers from the City of Barrie, the Town of Innisfil and the County of Simcoe.
Peter talked about the GenWell Project, Canada's Human Connection Movement. Peter talked about why social connection is the single largest contributor to happiness, empathy, compassion and resilience and yet our world is more disconnected than ever.
Peter shares how we can make connections more intentional and a bigger priority in our lives.
Amy Deacon, the Founder and CEO of Toronto Wellness Counselling joins me to offer her thoughts on why our multi-screening and multi-tasking youth are so lonely, and what we need to do to encourage face-to-face connections.
Moments that Matter.
00:00 Tony Chapman’s opening – a growing sense of impossibility
02:43 Introduce Pete Bombaci
04:37 Family life – a sister disabled, and the need to make time for others
05:48 Pete’s Dad dies and how that impacted his life.
08:49 Working at a bar offered two key insights.
11:32 The great blackout changed Pete forever.
14:40 Major career shift to not-for-profit raised $42M in 3 years.
17:42 Gen World Project: Canada's movement for human connection.
20:43 Research emphasizes the benefits of human connection.
23:25 Shift from reactive to proactive employee support.
26:32 Encouraging team and organization activities for growth.
31:08 Encouraging more in-person interactions for youth.
32:56 What can we do for our kids, our elderly parents, ourselves
35:35 Irony – Pete feels alone trying to create the GenWell Project
36:37 Global health expert outlines the dangers of Loneliness
37:32 Tony shares a story about a lone hiker
40:30 What Leaders can do - Authenticity and consistency are key
42:28 Loneliness and AI
44:20 Navigating post-pandemic challenges requires careful consideration.
45:32 My three takeaways
47:20 Amy Deacon, Founder of Toronto Wellness Counselling, joins the show
48:00 Amy explains why loneliness is so prevalent in the younger generation
49:14 What parents can do to help their children
50:26 Why parents are also part of the problem
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