The Health & Fitness Show with Tracy - Podcast

The holiday season can be beautiful — but for many people, it can also be deeply lonely.

• Tracy Markley

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The holiday season can be beautiful — but for many people, it can also be deeply lonely.
In this heartfelt episode, fitness professional, educator, and author Tracy L. Markley shares an important reminder to reach out, check in, and care for those who may be spending the holidays alone. Not everyone has family. Not everyone has visitors, gatherings, or people who think to check on them. Loneliness during the holidays is real — and often invisible.

Speaking from personal experience, Tracy opens an honest conversation about what it feels like to go through the season without family, support, or connection, and why kindness matters more than most people realize. Even a simple message, a visit, or an invitation can make someone feel seen, valued, and remembered.

This episode is a compassionate call to action:
 Don’t assume someone is okay just because they aren’t saying they’re not.
 Reach out. Include people. Be aware. Choose kindness.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL HEAR:

  • Why holiday loneliness is far more common than people think
  • How to recognize those who may be quietly struggling
  • The emotional impact of spending holidays without family
  • Why checking on someone can change their entire season
  • Ways to include people who might otherwise spend the holidays alone
  • How compassion, awareness, and presence make a real difference
  • A heartfelt message of encouragement for anyone feeling lonely this time of year

This episode is for anyone who wants to bring more kindness into the world — and for anyone who needs a gentle reminder that they are not forgotten.

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Speaker 1:

Welcome to the health and fitness show with Tracy Markley. You keep saying

Speaker 2:

You got something for me.

Speaker 1:

I love everybody and welcome to the health and fitness show with Tracy. Thank you for tuning in and listening. We are in the holidays and we are nearing the new. And once again, as a new year's come, we see ads for gyms, motivation, speakers, videos, YouTube videos, social media, talkers, everything posts about people make a change, break a habit, find the new you it's a new year, et cetera, et cetera, every year, the same thing. And yes, it pumps a lot of people up, but it also puts a lot of pressure on people and it can make times harder in a hard time. They're already having, as the world has spent the last two years coping with the changes and limitations and separation and losses due to the COVID pandemic. New new year leaves. Many of us feeling different than our usual felt due away, motivation different right now. You know, we feel different than we did before the pandemic. And it's still going on. An immense amount of people are forced to cope with post traumatic stress, depression and grief. The holidays and the new year can make what is already a challenging time. Even harder. For many people, people lost loved ones due to COVID. People lost loved one, not due to COVID. We couldn't have gatherings. Couldn't have funerals. We couldn't have services. It's natural for us as humans to have gatherings with loved ones and friends to help us carry through the process of loss. When we have them in our New York time article in July, 2021, it reads the pandemic has left hundreds of the thousands Americans alone in bereavement enabled to plan a proper funeral for their loved ones. The coronavirus pandemic, which brought social distancing measures that included restrictions on gathering, denied thousands of people. The opportunity to grieve others. COVID 19, which has led the deaths of more than 600,000 people in the United States. As of July has left millions of Americans be and they continue and they write the author of an ongoing study from the journal of effective disorders, predict that severe grief will become a worldwide public concern. And as I wish everyone a happy and healthy new year in 2022, I also want to remind everybody that many are suffering in the new year and a new year on a calendar does not fix it. It's just another day. They're waking up too. It's not waking up to a magical world. People are in grief and sadness. And these people that are grief and sad are in grief and sadness are not negative. They're not dwelling on the path. They're trying to heal and cope in a time in the world where many roadblocks have been put in their way, loneliness is hard, but even harder when they're left alone to grieve. I understand that from a personal experience, I've felt it myself and this sort of stress and heartache many are trying to move forward with right now can be damaged to their health in their brain. And in some cases it can leave long term negative effect, and laughter is good medicine, but many people don't have anyone around to laugh with. So don't be afraid or too stubborn to include someone who is suffering. People need people, and please don't put time limits on your loved ones and friends grieving. It is hard when you're grief of being a loved one in the last two years, grieving has been harder for millions of people worldwide. So if you are someone who hasn't had any losses and you haven't lost,'em in a COVID and you didn't get affected a whole lot. It doesn't mean others haven't. And one thing I'd have to give advice to. If someone to tells you they lost someone to COVID. One of the worst responses I hear is, oh, I'm so blessed. I didn't lose anyone to COVID. It's like, mm God, don't say that to somebody, Don, be careful with your words. Be kind, don't add their hurt and include people. I know with the COVID still going on. We may not wanna go out still, or you may not wanna invite people over. You don't wanna gather the hugs or give hugs, but if you're in a place where you can do these positive things, reach out, give someone a card, send them a card, leave a gift on their door, say hello, zoom with them, FaceTime with them. Don't leave them just hanging alone because grieving alone can be so devastating. It can explained in words, the depth of the pain, some people are in. So again, as I wish everyone, a new 2022, a happy new 2022 year, I hope that for everybody and, but just be kind to others, be kind to yourself, take care of yourself, help take care of others and have a healthy day. Have a great day. And thank you for listening to the health and fitness show with Tracy. You've been listening to the health and fitness show with Tracy. Go have a great day fit day and a healthy day. Are you ready? Boo.

Speaker 3:

Start walking.