Loneliness is something that affects everyone at one point in time or another. After all, we’re social animals, so it’s only natural that if we don’t have enough human contact, then loneliness is going to happen to us. And loneliness can have a persistent negative effect on our lives if left unchecked. That’s why observing National Cheer Up The Lonely Day—a day that falls on July 11th every year—is important. This holiday encourages people to reach out to those in their lives to help alleviate their loneliness. When friends and family members come together on this day, the world is just a little bit brighter.

The History of National Cheer Up The Lonely Day

This holiday was created by Francis Pesek in Detroit, Michigan. He came up with the holiday as a way to help those people who might be dealing with loneliness—particularly, people who are in nursing homes or shut-ins who can’t get out regularly.

Facts About Loneliness

Since it’s been estimated that almost half of the world’s population is going to deal with chronic loneliness at some point in their lives, we thought that we’d do a special section providing the unvarnished facts about loneliness. Below are some facts about loneliness that we feel everyone should know about.

Loneliness Can Be Contagious

One thing that researchers have discovered is that loneliness can be contagious. Studies show that lonely people tend to become stigmatized in social networks, and over a certain period, they not only get pushed to the outside of the network, but their friends can also begin to feel isolated from the network.

Loneliness Has Negative Effects on the Body

The one thing most people don’t realize is that loneliness not only makes a person feel more depressed, but it can have other negative effects on their mind and body. They can see an increase in blood pressure and cholesterol, and they can have a heightened stress response.

It can even affect the immune system of the person experiencing loneliness. One study discovered that college freshmen who regularly felt lonely didn’t get as much benefit from their annual flu shots as students who didn’t experience loneliness.

Chronic Loneliness Increases the Risk of a Premature Death

Yes, you’ve read the headline correctly. Experiencing loneliness can increase a person’s chance of early death by up to 15%. Just another reason for people to reach out to those experiencing loneliness and helping them to feel better.

Observing National Cheer Up The Lonely Day

National Cheer Up The Lonely Day can be observed by giving somebody companionship and kindness on this day. You can visit friends or family members who might be lonely, or you can volunteer at a nursing home to spread kindness. Regardless of how you celebrate the holiday, just be sure to use the hashtag #NationalCheerUpTheLonelyDay on your social media accounts to spread the word about this holiday.