Listener Picks: How to make the most of your neighborhood

WAMU 88.5 | By Jorgelina Manna-Rea

Published January 11, 2024 at 7:53 AM EST

Neighbours speak from their decorated balconies with red roses during Sant Jordi Day in El Prat del Llobregat, Spain.

Last May, United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released an advisory addressing the epidemic of “loneliness and isolation.”

In the advisory, Murthy states that “in recent years, one-in-two adults in America reported feeling loneliness. And that was before the COVID-19 pandemic.” The Surgeon General’s advisory underscores the negative impacts that loneliness and isolation have on our mental, emotional, and physical well-being.

One way to offset the negative impacts of loneliness and isolation can be simply saying hello to your neighbors, according to a2023 Gallup poll. It’s a simple practice — taking as little as seconds to minutes of conversation to get a quick chat in.Our listener, Heather Keaton, wanted to know: “How can we be a good neighbor in a time of isolation?”

Can being a good neighbor help our country heal?

1A always welcomes suggestions from listeners. Email us your ideas: 1A@wamu.org.