# Loneliness and an idea



## PatientGrandson (Dec 30, 2020)

Hi, everyone - I hope the very end of this horrible year is treating you kindly 

Loneliness -- or how to reduce it -- is something I care about. It's a pandemic under *the* pandemic, and causes so much suffering.

I think the way you start your day - the very first minutes after you wake up - can really set the tone for the rest of the day.

So I have an idea that might not _solve_ anything, but might help people start their day on the right foot.

The idea is a wake-up call service. Every morning, you'd get a phone call with a positive voice message from a random person. Something encouraging, something kind, a funny story... it would vary.

You wouldn't be connected to talk to this person, but you'd have the option to leave your own kind message that could then be used to wake up _other_ people.

My hope with such a service would be to help make sure the first few minutes of your day include some kindness, positivity, and encouragement.

I'd love to hear peoples' thoughts about this. No need to be overly polite - if it's a bad idea, it's a bad idea. Just curious what people think.

Thanks, everyone!


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## Sunny (Dec 30, 2020)

Wouldn't work for me. One of the few pandemic "benefits" I can think of is the lack of wake-up calls, alarms ringing, all that jazz.  Sometimes I just like to sleep late; why not?  I'm not on a timetable, and rarely have any reason to get up at a given hour, except the occasional medical appointment, something like that. But I mostly make those in the afternoon, if I have a choice.

For those who do want/need a wakeup service, it sounds like a nice idea... provided the wakeup messages are really kind, supportive, inspiring, etc., and not just irritating.


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## Aunt Bea (Dec 30, 2020)

I think that you are on the right track but I would rather have a minute or two of conversation with someone.

Maybe a calling tree from a church or local organization where everyone receives and makes one call each day as they work through the list.

Another simple wellness check for folks that live in apartment buildings is a door hanger similar to the ones used in hotels.







At a certain time each afternoon/evening the occupant flips the tag to a night message and by a certain time each day, they flip it to a day message.  A volunteer makes the rounds and checks on any resident that hasn't flipped the tag.


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## HoneyNut (Dec 30, 2020)

PatientGrandson said:


> Every morning, you'd get a phone call with a positive voice message from a random person. Something encouraging, something kind, a funny story... it would vary.


As long as it was just a message and not a live call requiring a response that sounds like a nice idea (assuming one can control the timing of the call).  I know I have spent a ridiculous amount of time picking out the ring song of my alarm app, it does make a difference to start to a good energizing beat instead of a grating blare.
At work my employer gave us an option to have twelve phone sessions talking with a counselor.  I didn't think it would be of much value (I am an introvert and LOVE working from home so Covid has been nice to me in that respect) and only signed up because participation counted toward getting a $25 bonus in my paycheck.  But, it was really an enjoyable experience to chat every couple weeks with the counselor.  We could pick any topic and switch topics so it was just real nice, especially when there was all the election stress and she talked about knowing ones own values and accepting the limited control we have on some things versus other aspects of our lives, and sort of participating with a certain amount of emotional distancing.  I only wish I was better at that.  She kind of reminded me of that Sadhguru yogi on YouTube.


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## Jules (Dec 30, 2020)

@HoneyNut You have a thoughtful & wise employer.


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## Chet (Dec 30, 2020)

If you have an alarm clock with radio, you could tune the radio to some cheerful morning program, and have it wake you.


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## Knight (Dec 30, 2020)

When a wake up is needed the reason my wife bought an echo dot alarm is so she can set it to wake her with nice music. Otherwise waking up when we wake up is our way to live.


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## CinnamonSugar (Dec 30, 2020)

The only way that (original poster's idea) would work is if a bedside coffee maker was set to go off 15 min. before the phone call.  Coffee, then talkie!


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## Kathleen’s Place (Dec 30, 2020)

I, personally, think it’s a great idea. I don’t need it...yet...butI sure know a lot of people who do.   This isolation is killing them and now with winter on top of it, it’s doubly bad.


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## Liberty (Dec 31, 2020)

A  large church in Houston  has this "cube" that is very positive and upbeat:

https://www.inspirationcube.com/?mid=11591025&msclkid=40cd12d10cd91532e2c44d3ce7849ed4


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## Butterfly (Dec 31, 2020)

Sunny said:


> Wouldn't work for me. One of the few pandemic "benefits" I can think of is the lack of wake-up calls, alarms ringing, all that jazz.  Sometimes I just like to sleep late; why not?  I'm not on a timetable, and rarely have any reason to get up at a given hour, except the occasional medical appointment, something like that. But I mostly make those in the afternoon, if I have a choice.
> 
> For those who do want/need a wakeup service, it sounds like a nice idea... provided the wakeup messages are really kind, supportive, inspiring, etc., and not just irritating.


I agree.  Since I am retired, I like the luxury of running my day as I want to, including when I get up.  I'm also not really a morning person and consider early morning phone calls to be a huge irritant.


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## Kathleen’s Place (Dec 31, 2020)

Liberty said:


> A  large church in Houston  has this "cube" that is very positive and upbeat:
> 
> https://www.inspirationcube.com/?mid=11591025&msclkid=40cd12d10cd91532e2c44d3ce7849ed4


I would imagine one could get alexa to do the same thing


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## katlupe (Jan 2, 2021)

I don't need that and would hate getting a call to check on me.


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## AprilSun (Jan 2, 2021)

If it was someone I know, then I wouldn't mind them calling to check on me because I would know they care. But, someone I don't know and they call, that would tell me they are doing it because "they have to". That's what I do not want!


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## Buckeye (Jan 2, 2021)

Well, as an old fella, that just means I'd have to take my phone with me into the bath room.  Thanks, but no thanks.


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## C'est Moi (Jan 2, 2021)

PatientGrandson said:


> Hi, everyone - I hope the very end of this horrible year is treating you kindly
> 
> Loneliness -- or how to reduce it -- is something I care about. It's a pandemic under *the* pandemic, and causes so much suffering.
> 
> ...


Because I am naturally skeptical of posts that sound suspiciously like they will end up trying to sell something, I trust that you are actually a "SENIOR" and that you will participate in other discussions on the forum.  

That said, I have zero interest in any phone call interrupting my day to leave some happy-assed recorded "message" that isn't even a real person I could interact with.   I can turn on the TV if I want to hear pie in the sky.


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## Pepper (Jan 2, 2021)

@C'est Moi
Finally, someone said it!  Congratulations, my friend!


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## MarciKS (Jan 16, 2021)

HoneyNut said:


> As long as it was just a message and not a live call requiring a response that sounds like a nice idea (assuming one can control the timing of the call).  I know I have spent a ridiculous amount of time picking out the ring song of my alarm app, it does make a difference to start to a good energizing beat instead of a grating blare.
> At work my employer gave us an option to have twelve phone sessions talking with a counselor.  I didn't think it would be of much value (I am an introvert and LOVE working from home so Covid has been nice to me in that respect) and only signed up because participation counted toward getting a $25 bonus in my paycheck.  But, it was really an enjoyable experience to chat every couple weeks with the counselor.  We could pick any topic and switch topics so it was just real nice, especially when there was all the election stress and she talked about knowing ones own values and accepting the limited control we have on some things versus other aspects of our lives, and sort of participating with a certain amount of emotional distancing.  I only wish I was better at that.  She kind of reminded me of that Sadhguru yogi on YouTube.


we are offered 3 counseling sessions a yr. i have yet to do one. i've considered it as of late.


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