Following a healthy diet and exercising regularly can help combat stress. Prioritizing healthy relationships is essential to maintaining optimal emotional health. Maybe you live alone, so there is no one living in your home who is available to help you. Learning a new skill or taking up a hobby is a great way to protect your mental health during COVID-19. Living alone does not itself cause loneliness, and older people living without a spouse/partner but with others also face higher risks for loneliness than couples . Family, friends, and neighbors are the biggest source of help for many older people. But for single people living alone, this can be a very lonely time. But I don’t get to see my family because they’re all in New York, so that’s sad. I have another friend who is really having a hard time with it. Living alone during social isolation can be an emotional rollercoaster. There are more single adults living, working, and yes, still breathing, in the United States than ever before in history. If we're at home with our families, well, we have that. For people living alone like Jan Maddox, 71, the risks of loneliness in lockdown are significantly greater, according to data. In fact, living alone may be one of the greatest joys a person can experience. Social isolation is the objective physical separation from other people (living alone), while loneliness is the subjective distressed feeling of being alone or separated. Below is a list of the 15 most famous celebrity recluses. "I found that I can take living alone better than some people. ... Reach out to people you know. Social connections – including contact with friends and family – are important for our health and emotional well-being. Finally, older single people living alone are more likely to express that they are lonely, which itself is a risk factor for a host of adverse physical and mental health outcomes. For one, don’t let other people’s stereotypes of living alone define you. The word "alone" has many negative connotations, but when used in the context of living without a mate, none apply. Hence, as the ‘rise of living alone’ continues, there will be new challenges to connect people and provide support to those living alone, particularly in poorer countries where communication technologies are less developed and welfare states are weaker. In highly intelligent people, though, the finding is reversed: Smart people feel happier alone than when others, even good friends, are around. Dr. Cacioppo’s research found that being alone and loneliness are different but related. People become recluses for a variety of reasons, including religious beliefs, survivalist goals, mental illness and a desire for privacy. But, for the most part, I am okay and I think it’s because I get to have bits and pieces of connection. Maybe you don't need help right now, but you live with a spouse or family member who does. Celebrities sometimes also become reclusive, either from the public eye or from society in general. It isn’t always easy living alone, but it sure teaches you a lot. Emily Agosti's family doesn't live close to her Lansdale apartment.