THE irony of this column piece this week is the fact that so many of us feel lonely in a world filled with eight billion people. In an age of technological advances like no other, hyper-connected through the internet, we still feel isolated. Social isolation should be considered a serious threat to our health, and this week, I wanted to discuss the implications it can have on all aspects of our lives.

Social isolation is the physical separation from other people. It refers to the lack of or limited social interactions with others. It is not the same as loneliness. Loneliness is defined as the emotional distress or challenge that results from the lack of meaningful or positive connections with other people. In essence, someone can be socially isolated and not experience loneliness. It is also possible to be surrounded by people and still feel immensely lonely and disconnected. Despite these differences, both of these experiences can be very challenging to overcome. Loneliness affects one’s overall quality of life, particularly their mental and emotional well-being.

Social isolation and feelings of loneliness can result from the inability to foster and maintain healthy connections. We often establish friendships or relationships without understanding the effort and support required to maintain them. Some of us may have close people we consider friends, but how often do we check in with them or try to meet up? Do we allow work or other responsibilities to get in the way of maintaining bonds and connections? How do we strike a balance between responsibilities and maintaining relationships? The answers to these questions will be unique to each individual. Only you can determine what those answers are for yourself.

In the era of social media technology, we often try to substitute physical connections with online ones. While I agree that social media is a great way of maintaining connections, I also think it can only help to a certain extent. When we allow online spaces and mediums to replace our physical connections, we further increase our social isolation and feelings of loneliness. Sometimes, our social isolation may be a sign of an underlying mental health condition. Depression and anxiety are often linked to social isolation. As such, I urge you all to seek professional advice and help so that you can develop positive coping strategies to address your mental health issues, social isolation, and loneliness.

It is often said that we must enjoy our own company first before we can enjoy the company of others. As such, I hope that as you reflect on the way forward, you are kind to yourself by showing self-compassion. As you start rekindling relationships and addressing loneliness, you should also work on building a healthier relationship with yourself. In sociology, we are taught that human beings are “social beings,” and as such, we thrive best in supportive groups and communities.

As we collectively work to improve our communities, I hope we can all also notice the signs when people socially distance themselves and reach out to them if necessary. After all, in the words of Mother Teresa, the Albanian-Indian Catholic nun and missionary, “Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty.”