Lonely people often see themselves as a burden — and the heart may play a small part
A new study of more than 800 U.S. adults finds that people who feel lonely do not only view others and their social world more negatively — they also tend to judge themselves as giving less and being more of a strain on close relationships, especially with family. The paper reports that a physiological marker of emotional flexibility, high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV), showed a modest buffering effect: people with higher resting HF-HRV were somewhat less likely to link their loneliness with feeling burdensome to family members (Psychophysiology article). The findings highlight how loneliness can reshape self-perception and suggest practical pathways — from breathing-based exercises to community outreach — that could help break cycles of withdrawal and isolation.