What I Learned About Loneliness After Visiting a Blue Zone ...Middle East

Loneliness is so back. Between the rise of "loneliness influencers" and constant discourse about the male loneliness epidemic, loneliness has become something of a hot topic. But that doesn't make it any easier to live with.

In 2024, I moved out of my ex-partner's home and into a studio in Los Angeles. It was my first time living alone in four years and my first time being really, truly single as an adult. Almost three years later, I'm still living alone. Still really, truly single.

Unfortunately, loneliness isn't just fodder for internet discourse - it's legitimately bad for our health. A 2023 advisory from the US Surgeon General found loneliness and isolation to be "more widespread than many of the other major health issues of our day, including smoking, diabetes, and obesity, and with comparable levels of risk to health and premature death."

This point was driven home for me when I got the opportunity to visit the Nicoya Peninsula in the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica - home to one of the world's five blue zones. These are areas of the world where people live significantly longer and healthier lives. The question is: why?

My trip started (alone) at the beautiful Westin Reserva Conchal by Marriott. After exploring the property, I met with a larger group for a boat safari in the Palo Verde National Park. There, our tour guide educated us on the local wildlife, the Guanacaste region, and the specific blue zone to which we were headed. This area is known as the Nicoya Peninsula, and it's currently home to 600 people over the age of 100.

According to our guide, this longevity can be attributed to a myriad of lifestyle factors, including eating habits and environmental resources. But every blue zone has its own secret ingredient - Nicoya's is its sense of community.

The Nicoya Peninsula is led by the "plan de vida" culture. Literally translated to mean "life plan," plan de vida tells us that we all have a unique sense of purpose. In Nicoya, plan de vida also serves the community, with relationships based on trust and care for your family, friends, and neighbors. This community-centered culture doesn't just mean greater shared resources - it's also created a calmer, less stressful way of life. People work hard, but they always know they aren't doing it alone. It takes a village, after all.

So many of us have been told to lower our stress levels at some point in our life (which . . . easier said than done). As Micaela Bayard, MD, previously explained to Popsugar, long-lasting stressors can contribute to inflammation, increasing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, digestive problems, and other chronic health conditions. That said, some stress is unavoidable. The solution? Maybe the village has something to do with it.

The Surgeon General's report writes that "higher social connection provides increased opportunities for and access to support, thus reducing the likelihood of perceiving challenging situations as stressful." This has certainly proven to be the case in Nicoya. Life is hard, but we don't have to go it (completely) alone.

It's natural to feel lonely sometimes, especially as a single 30-something living by herself in a big city. But if I learned anything from Nicoya, it's that - even when loneliness does strike - we're never truly alone. It's our job to call upon those doorbell friends and show up for others the same way (if only to sit with them and do nothing on the couch).

My trip to Reserva Conchal made me realize that, in many ways, I've already built a village of my own, and it's made up of people who love, trust, and show up for each other. My heart and my calendar are both full, and that's actually a great thing for my stress levels and physical health. Who knows? If I keep it up, maybe I'll be celebrating my 100th birthday with them, too.

Hence then, the article about what i learned about loneliness after visiting a blue zone was published today ( Tuesday 01/09/2026 - 09:47 PM ) and is available on popsugar ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.

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