Feel the cold of loneliness

We perfectly remember sad songs and poems that speak of loneliness where feelings of sadness and cold are mixed. Poets and composers have long discovered this relationship between cold and loneliness, and popular culture also uses idioms such as “it leaves me cold” to refer to a situation in which we are not involved or to a person who does not care for us. matter.

Now, from the metaphor we move to the physical plane, because the cold that we feel when we feel alone is very real.

Loneliness produces cold

• The confirmation that mood influences the perception of temperature comes from a study from the University of Toronto (Canada).
• In a room that remained at the same temperature at all times, a group of people was asked to evoke a situation in which they had felt alone, while another group recalled moments in which they enjoyed the affection of their relatives. The perception of the room temperature was much lower for those people who were remembering their loneliness than for those who were enjoying remembering the affection.
• At the same time, it was found that those people who had a feeling of loneliness had the need to drink hot drinks such as a cup of tea or chocolate. But indeed, it does not take a scientific study to know how comforting a blanket and a hot cup of coffee can be when we feel sad and alone, because it is something that, to a greater or lesser extent, we have all experienced.
• If you stop to think about those moments in your life surrounded by sadness or anguish, you can perfectly remember that environmental coldness that you noticed. A sentimental breakup is one of those moments in which the feeling of loneliness appears more strongly, because the bond with your partner is one of the strongest since it keeps you linked to society. Even if your partner broke up in the middle of summer, surely you remember that feeling of uncontrollable cold.

Winter loneliness

1. And there is a close relationship between mood and weather. In fact, there are diseases such as seasonal affective disorder that present a higher incidence in the autumn-winter season. Sensations such as sadness, discouragement or disappointment make their appearance with the arrival of the cold, leading in many cases to depression.
2. Something that is related not only to the drop in temperatures, but also to a significant decrease in social activities. We already know the importance of social relationships to have a fuller life and be happier, as well as that shows of affection are essential for a good state of health.
3. But it happens that more and more people feel alone, since not all people have family support or a circle of unconditional friends. And loneliness is not always imposed by a difficult character, but many times it is particular circumstances of work or place of residence that make social interaction difficult. In any case, and given the importance of human warmth, loneliness is a feeling to avoid if we want to enjoy a good physical condition and better spirits.