A friend shared a heartbreaking article in the New York Times with me recently called “How Social Isolation is Killing Us”.

Here’s a couple snippets. Can you believe this!?!?!

Social isolation is a growing epidemic — one that’s increasingly recognized as having dire physical, mental and emotional consequences. Since the 1980s, the percentage of American adults who say they’re lonely has doubled from 20 percent to 40 percent.

• A wave of new research suggests social separation is bad for us. Individuals with less social connection have disrupted sleep patterns, altered immune systems, more inflammation and higher levels of stress hormones. One recent study found that isolation increases the risk of heart disease by 29 percent and stroke by 32 percent.
• Another analysis that pooled data from 70 studies and 3.4 million people found that socially isolated individuals had a 30 percent higher risk of dying in the next seven years, and that this effect was largest in middle age.
• Loneliness can accelerate cognitive decline in older adults, and isolated individuals are twice as likely to die prematurely as those with more robust social interactions.
• These effects start early: Socially isolated children have significantly poorer health 20 years later, even after controlling for other factors. All told, loneliness is as important a risk factor for early death as obesity and smoking.

The friend who shared this is Camille Macres, and she has made it her mission to reconnect women to one another in authentic community and sisterhood the way we used to live in tribes way back in the day.

If it’s true (and I believe that it is) that we are the product of the people we spend our time with, then the pathway to becoming a fully alive and radiant woman IS to get into community with other women

Let’s get real for a minute, though…

Does my talking about being in close relationship with other women send you screaming for the hills?

If so, know that you really aren’t alone.

Even though all of the studies on sisterhood show that women with strong, loving friendships are happier, healthier, more successful, that doesn’t make it easy for so many women to go there.

There’s just too much pain and baggage.

A long history of girlfriends stealing boyfriends, fighting for jobs, putting yourself above some women and below others based on age, weight, social and financial status all litters the space that real sisterhood would inhabit.

The sisterhood wound is systemic and deeply ingrained, and it is not our fault. We have been pitted against each other from day one.

We haven’t been taught that there are amazing women out there who are on our side.

Women who want to connect about more than just shoes, dirty diapers, about other people and partying.

Camille is hosting a free 4-part “Unlock Your Inner Beauty” workshop starting July 9th that will dig deeper into this topic and give you the practical tools to begin shifting your relationships with other women (along with several other tools geared at just your relationship with yourself).

In this workshop, you are going to learn some potent new ways to become your most beautiful, radiant and authentic self.

The woman you’ve always known deep in your heart you could become, you just haven’t had a roadmap to get there…

No matter where you are now, or where you’ve struggled in the past, you will walk away from this free workshop with an understanding of:

• Why you’re stuck in patterns of self-sabotage and stinkin’ thinkin’ and how to shift into new habits of self-love and acceptance for who you are and where you are right now.
• How to overcome shame, depression, loneliness and the darker feelings within you that sabotage your freedom, joy and happiness.
• How to move past people pleasing and feelings of unworthiness and firmly onto your path in the world where you can freely express your voice, gifts and talents.
• How to heal your “sisterhood wound” and get on the path to mutually supportive and nurturing relationships with other women.

This free workshop is the kick-off for a truly amazing program called The School of Inner Beauty taught by 19 world-class teachers that dives deep into all aspects of becoming your most radiant self.

I feel so honored to be a part of it and will be teaching on 7/19.

Beyond the potent lessons and live weekly Q&A’s with the teachers, you will also have the opportunity to join a small group with other women on a similar path.

SO if you’re pickin’ up what I’m puttin’ down, please click here to join us for our free “Unlock Your Inner Beauty” workshop starting July 9^th..

Can’t wait to see you there.

Dr. Debi Silber
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