Daring to recognise the potential of loneliness to cause harm – and of connection to heal
Research suggests the negative health impact of chronic loneliness is comparable to smoking 10-15 cigarettes a day
Loneliness
Loneliness
‘I’m a man in my 40s and feel like I don’t have any real friendships’
Ask Roe: I always make an effort to fit in, but I worry this is now coming across as desperate
Rose Anne Kenny: Why are ages 30, 50 and 70 vital moments in determining how we grow old?
The publication of the 2026 census brought a renewed focus on ageing and the factors that influence it
Teaching has become an increasingly lonely profession
In my past life, which included a stint as a private detective, there was time for a chat and a joke with a colleague. Not any more
Hilary Fannin: I’d forgotten I had a guardian angel
They used to come free with a convent-school education
All the Lonely People: readers tell their stories
Many contributors say they felt better just by reading how common loneliness is
Barbara (83): ‘I light candles because they make me feel somebody is here’
All the Lonely People: For Barbara, left behind by a faster and colder world, loneliness is a constant, unwelcome companion
How mindfulness helped me overcome loneliness in London
All the Lonely People: ‘I was holding my breath for the day that I returned to Ireland’
The Yes Woman: My mother is dying and I have never felt more alone
All the Lonely People: She must confront her own mortality and I must confront what my life will be like without her
Moving to Perth where I knew no one taught me how to not feel lonely
All the Lonely People: I was unhappy in Ireland, but I’ve been given an opportunity for a fresh start in Australia
‘The treatment for loneliness is first being aware of it’
Isolation affects people of all ages. If it is not dealt with, it can lead to serious physical and mental health problems
We’re home from the US ten years but still don’t feel settled
All the Lonely People: It is difficult to explain the isolation we feel living in rural Ireland. Should we move back to the US?
Tell Me About It: I have felt so alone since I separated from my husband
Everyone thinks I am flying, but I’m not. Living alone is hard
Kim Noble: ‘I don’t have a proper job. I don’t have a proper life’
All the Lonely People: The satirist’s new show, where nothing seems to be off limits, is riveting but so unethical you may have to watch it through splayed fingers
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
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