She eventually started working at a holistic health centre. “I was surrounded by people and I was able to make connections,” Emma says. Coming out of social isolation required lots of little steps to build connections that would flourish into friendships. But, she says: “Those connections were the best ones, because they come from a place of deep sentiment and emotion.”

Once you build those connections, you can pay it forward and create belonging for others.

2. Monitor how you use social media – and how much

Social media can help ease social isolation – if used in the right way. A 2022 study showed that intimate chats and positive, funny stories can go a long way toward easing loneliness and anxiety.

In addition, consider setting time limits and being choosy about who you befriend online. A recent study suggests that who you follow, what you do and how long you spend on social media are key to preserving overall wellbeing. When a group of students was asked to limit their time on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat, and follow friends instead of strangers, the study saw significant improvements in wellbeing.

3. Use social media for good

Too often, the cheery posts you’re coming across on social media hide shame and worry. Redirecting social media toward authentic sharing can combat feelings of isolation.

After experiencing serious mental health challenges, Hannah Puralewski spoke out about her situation online. She was astonished by the response. “I couldn’t believe all the people who reached out to me with their own stories or a desire to connect over a similarity that we never even knew we had,” she says.

Hannah was struck by the fact that so many of us keep silent because we feel so isolated by our pain, and yet by sharing something that’s deeply painful helped her connect with others. Says Hannah: “It’s actually the silence and the refusal to speak of things that might cause people discomfort that keeps us isolated.”

4. Find purpose in belonging

The ability to share our gifts with others gives us a ‘why’ that can help combat personal loneliness and isolation. The antidote to feeling less alone can be as simple as offering to help – at a food bank, animal shelter or through other activities. Studies have shown that volunteering can ease symptoms of depression; it’s also an opportunity to broaden your network of friends and help build community.

There’s power in pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones and connecting through purposeful work. And a good reminder that we only belong when we belong together.

Kim Samuel is the author of On Belonging: Finding Connection In An Age Of Isolation (Abrams Press), which is available in the UK

Feeling lonely is a cruel consequence of our fragmented world, but we can make a start to combat it