Me, Myself, & Isla - Lifting the Lid on Loneliness

About Me, Myself, & Isla - Lifting the Lid on Loneliness

Hey, I’m Isla. I’m 45 and I work in marketing in events. I’m also a volunteer board member for a local mental health charity. I’m single, which can feel weird to say out loud at my age. I love people, interactions with people make me feel alive and give me purpose, and as long as I have those, being single usually feels just fine. But then came Covid-19, to really mess with everything that made me feel good. When lockdown kicked in during March 2020, life changed for all of us. Everyone’s situation was different, and the impact (good for some as well as bad) was different for everyone. Some felt the pain of living alone, others had the horror show of home schooling, and I don’t have adequate words or experience to even begin a discussion on the people who suffered loss during lockdown, or worked on the front line. However, one feeling I think most people felt to varying degrees was loneliness. And even if you were lucky enough not to feel lonely, I’m sure you knew someone that possibly was. All of a sudden, human contact drastically reduced, with very little exception, and for some it disappeared completely. If I’m honest, I still can’t believe it when I think about it. I think it’s only now that we’re starting to mix properly again, and believe we can now make plans for the future, that I can let myself think about what we’ve all been through. But then I got to thinking, loneliness isn’t a new thing. It didn’t just appear as a result of the pandemic, although for sure levels drastically increased. Loneliness has been around forever, and we haven’t talked about it until now because it’s a bit embarrassing. And that means the people have suffered with this feeling on their own, without knowing that so many people are out there feeling the same, perhaps just for different reasons. Someone who I hope to speak to soon said that loneliness is her “favourite dirty word”, and I love this, because it’s true. We all feel it at some point in our life, but we’re scared to say for fear of being judged. And so came the idea for my first podcast (and possibly last, depending how this lands) ‘Me, myself, and I(sla) – Lifting the Lid on Loneliness. I want to talk to people who are comfortable speaking about times in their life when they have felt lonely, and what they did or are doing to find a way through. I put a call for guests out my own social channels, and was blown away by the responses I got back. People who felt lonely in their marriage, lonely in their new management position, lonely with an illness, lonely living on their own, lonely as a new parent, lonely as children left the home, lonely because they don’t feel heard, and the list goes on… I also heard from people who are extremely happy being alone, and those who make time to be on their own as often as they can. So I hope to speak with some of these awesome people across the next few weeks and months, and find out a little more about their experiences, and listen to any hints, tips and good advice they have to share. The one thing I already know is that if you have felt, or are feeling alone, ironically you are far from alone. And maybe that fact is a little piece of comfort for now.

Publisher

Isla Stewart

Category

health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

14 Mar 2022

Latest episode

19 Jun 2025

Latest episodes

11 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   19 Jun 2025

   Episode 11 - The Loneliness that can come from Moving to a New City

   Matt Wallace discusses the isolation experienced when relocating to a new city and the challenges of building a social network while balancing family responsibilities and career aspirations in an interview with Isla Traquair.

2. 

   6 Jun 2025

   Episode 10 - A chat covering everything from the loneliness of divorce, to the joy of solo travelling - but know your limits.

   Host Isla interviews Lisa Ironside, Managing Director of The HR Dept Aberdeenshire, about her experiences with loneliness after divorce and starting a business, offering insights on solo travel and self-discovery.

3. 

   31 May 2025

   Episode 9 - A Chat About the Loneliness and Isolation Associated with a Chronic Illness

   Susi McWilliam shares her experiences with loneliness and isolation stemming from chronic illness, emphasizing the importance of community and rediscovering personal values in this interview with Isla Traquair.

4. 

   23 May 2025

   Episode 8 - A Chat About Running a Business on Your Own with Suz Bird

   Host Isla interviews Suz Bird, a business owner, who shares her experiences of running a business solo, building community, and navigating the challenges of social media.

5. 

   6 Mar 2023

   Episode 7 – A Chat About How Big Life Events Can Lead to Feelings of Loneliness

   Host Isla reveals how big life events can trigger loneliness with guest Sandra McLennan, who shares her experiences and mission to combat isolation through charity work and volunteering in this interview.

6. 

   19 Jun 2022

   Episode 6 - A Chat About How Spending Time Alone Can Help You Grow

   Global Talent Acquisition Lead Mark Dalgarno shares with host Isla Traquair how periods of solitude and loneliness fostered his resilience and empowered him to make independent decisions in this interview.

7. 

   6 Jun 2022

   Episode 5 - Chats About the Joys of Being a Solo Tourist with Craig Leith

   Craig Leith, Senior Lecturer at Robert Gordon’s University, explores the joys and challenges of solo tourism, offering insights into its emotional and practical aspects in an interview with Isla Traquair.

8. 

   27 Apr 2022

   Episode 4 - A Chat with Laura Antonia Jordan About Loneliness, Her ’Favourite Unsexy Subject’

   Laura Antonia Jordan, Fashion and Lifestyle Features Director at Grazia, discusses her article on loneliness during lockdown and why she considers it her 'favorite unsexy subject' in an interview with the host.

9. 

   12 Apr 2022

   Episode 3 - A Chat About the Importance of Being Happy on Your Own

   Adele Slater discusses single positivity with the host, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing and enjoying time alone, even amidst societal pressures, in this interview.

10. 

    30 Mar 2022

    Episode 2 - The Loneliness of Being Diagnosed with a Serious Illness during a Global Pandemic with Carolyn Pierpont

    Carolyn Pierpont shares her experience with loneliness after being diagnosed with breast cancer in the Netherlands during the COVID-19 pandemic in an interview with Isla Traquair.

11. 

    14 Mar 2022

    Episode 1 - A Chat About Loneliness with Astrid Whyte and Laura Simmons

    Host Isla interviews Astrid Whyte and Laura Simmons, person-centered counselors, about loneliness, exploring its causes and emphasizing the importance of speaking up.

Who has been a guest on Me, Myself, & Isla - Lifting the Lid on Loneliness

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Matt Wallace
• Lisa Ironside
• Susi McWilliam
• Suz Bird
• Sandra McLennan

Podcast Authority Score: 7 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

13

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

0

Contact Me, Myself, & Isla - Lifting the Lid on Loneliness

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.