How to use this guide

How the guide is organized

• Understanding loneliness: what it is, how common it is, what it does to body and mind, and why it can feed itself.
• Your age and situation: pages for teens, students, parents, older adults, people living alone, after a move, a divorce or a death, and many other situations.
• Mind, body and habits: depression, social anxiety, alcohol, screens, sleep, and how to get help.
• Ways to connect: small first steps, friendships, groups, volunteering, faith communities, pets, apps and social media, and going out.
• Personality and finding your people: introverts and extraverts, personality, attachment and compatibility.
• Comfort, meaning and joy: music, films, books, nature, and being alone well.
• Helping someone else: for friends, families, parents and anyone who wants to start something.
• Help and resources: crisis lines, talk lines, organizations and help in other countries.

Things that work on every page

• "Do this first" at the top of each page is the single most useful step.
• Underlined words (dotted line) show a short explanation when you tap them. Figures do too: tap one to see where it comes from and when.
• Checklists remember what you tick, on this device only. You can add a note to any item.
• Text size and dark mode are in the top bar. The Talk now button is always there too.
• Print any page from your browser; menus and buttons are left out.
• Search (top bar) works on your device. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.

The private tools

• My situation: a few questions, and a reading list made for you.
• How lonely am I?: a three-question check you can repeat over time.
• My people: the people in your life, and when you were last in touch.
• My small steps: notice what you tried and how it felt.

Everything stays in your browser. You can back it up, protect it with a passphrase, or erase it in My data.

What this guide is, and isn't

It is general information, written in plain language and checked against reliable sources. It is not medical, psychological or legal advice, and it can't know your whole story. If loneliness is weighing heavily on you, or you feel down most days, please also talk to someone: a doctor, a counselor, or a talk line.