Loneliness Hurts Your Health. Here Are Simple Ways to Reconnect This Fall

Have you ever had a week where you talked to plenty of people, but nobody really saw you? A quick hello at work, a few texts, a nod at the store, and still you came home feeling alone.

If that sounds familiar, you are far from the only one. And according to the World Health Organization, that feeling matters for more than our mood. It matters for our health.

What the world’s health experts found

In June 2025, the WHO Commission on Social Connection released a global report on loneliness and social isolation. The findings were sobering:

• About 1 in 6 people worldwide are affected by loneliness.
• Loneliness is linked to an estimated 871,000 deaths every year. That is about 100 deaths every hour.
• Between 17% and 21% of people aged 13 to 29 reported feeling lonely, with the highest rates among teenagers.
• Social isolation may affect up to 1 in 3 older adults and 1 in 4 adolescents, though the WHO notes the data here is limited.

The WHO says loneliness and isolation raise the risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, cognitive decline and early death. Lonely people are also twice as likely to become depressed.

Closer to home, Gallup found in 2024 that about 1 in 5 U.S. adults said they feel lonely on a daily basis. That is lower than the pandemic peak, but still the highest rate Gallup had seen in two years.

The good news: connection is good medicine

Here is the hopeful side of the same report. The WHO says strong social connection can reduce inflammation, lower the risk of serious illness, support mental health and help prevent early death.

The commission was co-chaired by Dr. Vivek Murthy, the former U.S. Surgeon General. He described the report as “a road map for how we can build more connected lives.”

In other words, the people around us are not just nice to have. They are part of how God designed us to stay well.

“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.”
— Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (KJV)

Small ways to reconnect this week

The WHO’s own suggestions are refreshingly simple. None of them cost money, and most take only a few minutes:

1. Reach out to a friend who needs support. A short call or a “thinking of you” message can open a door.
2. Put your phone away during conversations. Being fully present tells the other person they matter.
3. Greet a neighbor. A smile and a name can be the start of a real friendship.
4. Join a local group. A Bible study, a walking club, a choir or a community class gives you a reason to show up regularly.
5. Volunteer. Serving side by side is one of the easiest ways to build bonds that last.

Ideas for families

Connection starts at home, and it can be built into ordinary days:

• Pick one meal a week where everyone stays at the table until the last person is done talking.
• Ask your kids or teens a better question than “How was school?” Try “What made you laugh today?”
• Invite an older neighbor, a widowed church member or a new family on your street to Sunday dinner.
• Write a handwritten note together to a grandparent or someone who lives alone.

Be the one who reaches first

Many lonely people are waiting for someone else to make the first move. You can be that someone. It may feel awkward at first, but kindness rarely goes to waste.

And if you are the one feeling alone right now, please hear this: you are not forgotten. Start small. Send one message. Say yes to one invitation. Sit near someone new on Sunday.

A gentle health note

This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. If loneliness has turned into ongoing sadness, hopelessness or anxiety, please talk with your doctor or a licensed counselor. The WHO encourages anyone facing serious loneliness to look into the support and services available to them. If you ever have thoughts of harming yourself, contact your local emergency number or a crisis line right away. In the U.S., you can call or text 988.

We were never meant to weather life’s storms alone. Through every storm, we rise together.

Who is one person you could reach out to this week, and what simple thing could you do to brighten their day?

Sources: World Health Organization, “Social connection linked to improved health and reduced risk of early death” (June 2025); KFF Health News, “20% Of US Adults Say They Feel Lonely On A Daily Basis” (October 2024)