Loneliness Is as Harmful as Smoking — and Far More Common

Research shows chronic loneliness can be as harmful to health as smoking or obesity—but connection is a skill we can practice and grow

We often think about health in terms of diet, exercise, sleep, or avoiding harmful habits like smoking. But there’s one factor that’s just as important—maybe even more so—that often flies under the radar: our sense of connection.

A 2015 meta-analysis by psychologist Julianne Holt-Lunstad shows that loneliness and social isolation significantly increase the risk of premature death, to a degree comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Let that sink in for a moment. Fifteen cigarettes. And yet, when was the last time a doctor asked you about your friendships, your sense of belonging, or whether you feel connected to those around you?

This week on Dharma Lab, we dive into this urgent and often overlooked issue. Loneliness has reached epidemic levels. Depending on how it’s measured, between half and three-quarters of Americans report feeling lonely. One study found that 76% of adults experienced moderate to severe levels of loneliness. Imagine if three quarters of the population were suffering from a diagnosable disease—there would be national mobilization. But when it comes to loneliness, we often don’t treat it with the same urgency.

---

Why Does Loneliness Harm Our Health?

The honest answer is we don’t fully know why loneliness and social isolation have such a large impact on our physical health. However there are mechanisms we can point to that are likely candidates for contributing to this. One reason is that loneliness changes the way we respond to stress. When we’re disconnected, we recover more slowly from adversity. Over time, this wear and tear builds up in the body and undermines our health.

But while loneliness is widespread, connection is a skill—something we can practice, cultivate, and strengthen.

---

The Paradox of Perception

We often think of connection as something “out there”—how many friends we have, whether we live with others, whether we’re surrounded by people. But what matters just as much, if not more, is how connected we feel.

You can be surrounded by friends and still feel lonely. Or you can spend long stretches alone, as we’ve both done on retreat, and feel deeply connected. The difference comes down to attention and perspective: noticing how profoundly our lives are intertwined with countless others, and savoring even small moments of connection as they arise.

---

Connection as a Skill

Meditative traditions have known this for centuries. They teach systematic practices for cultivating kindness, compassion, appreciation, and gratitude. These practices don’t have to be long or complicated:

• Pausing before a meal to reflect on all the people who helped bring the food to your plate.

• Smiling at a stranger in the airport and silently wishing them well.

• Remembering a loved one or even a pet, letting that warm feeling of care fill your heart, and then extending it outward.

Science now confirms what contemplative traditions have long taught: even short practices like these can shift the brain in measurable ways. After just two weeks of daily practice, networks in the brain linked to connection begin to strengthen. Our capacity for kindness is innate—but it needs regular practice to be strong and enduring.

Here’s a 5-minute kindness meditation you can try now or later this week:

Meditation #7: 5 Minutes of Kindness

---

Why This Matters Now

We live in a time of deep social disconnection—between groups, nations, political factions, even family members. The suffering this creates is immense. Addressing loneliness is no longer an individual matter. It’s a serious public health issue that needs urgent attention.

The good news is that change is easier than we think. Connection can be cultivated, moment by moment, in the simplest of ways. The more we practice, the more it shifts from a fleeting state to an enduring trait.

What are small ways you practice connection in daily life? What’s one small act of connection you could practice today? Share your reflections in the comments—we’re all in this together.

Warmly,

Richie + Cort

---

🎧 Tune in later this week on the podcast for the full conversation. We’ll share more stories, science, and simple ways to understand and further explore our minds.

Do you have topics you would like to see in future posts, suggestions for features, or areas of improvement? We would love to hear from you HERE!

Reference Notes:

• Holt-Lunstad, Julianne, Timothy B. Smith, Mark Baker, Tyler Harris, and David Stephenson. 2015. “Loneliness and Social Isolation as Risk Factors for Mortality: A Meta-Analytic Review.” Perspectives on Psychological Science 10 (2): 227–37.

• Lee, Ellen E., Colin Depp, Barton W. Palmer, Danielle Glorioso, Rebecca Daly, Jinyuan Liu, Xin M. Tu, et al. 2019. “High Prevalence and Adverse Health Effects of Loneliness in Community-Dwelling Adults across the Lifespan: Role of Wisdom as a Protective Factor.” International Psychogeriatrics 31 (10): 1447–62. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1041610218002120.

• Weng, H. Y., Fox, A. S., Shackman, A. J., Stodola, D. E., Caldwell, J. Z., Olson, M. C., ... & Davidson, R. J. (2013). Compassion training alters altruism and neural responses to suffering. Psychological science, 24(7), 1171-1180.