The Antidote to the Loneliness Epidemic

Monk Mindset for Living Well

Monk Mindset 2

Commit to Healthy Community: Family and Community

Reflection on the Monk Mindset & Quote

For seven years I lived in various Carmelite monasteries. In all of them, we’d have at least one meal daily all together – and sometimes as many as three meals a day together. 

The “Rule of St. Albert”, written by St. Albert of Jerusalem in the early 1200s, is like the original blueprint or “constitution” for how the Carmelites are to live. Here, the brothers are guided to have meals together daily. This is interesting because at the time, the Carmelites were mostly hermits – meaning they lived a solitary life seeking God. 

What this document – and almost every other monastic rule recognizes is that we as humans are designed for being in community daily – even the most solitary of us. 

In a time when loneliness is approaching an epidemic, this commitment to engaging in healthy community daily is really the antidote. 

This means that we ideally need a daily touchpoint with healthy community. If you’re single, this means probably at least four times a week to visit with friends or family. If you’re married or in a family situation it’s closer to at least six times a week. 

Not only is this community connection the soil where we have the most direct opportunity to live out our true purpose of love, it’s through showing up to healthy community and family situations that we escape the pain of isolation and loneliness.

Put It Into Practice This Week

Do you have daily time in healthy community?

If not, what’s keeping you from that and how could you build this more into your weekly rhythm?

If you do have daily or almost daily time in healthy community, what's one thing you can do to show up more alive and present for these sacred opportunities?

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