Nearly one in four adults globally experiences deep social isolation. If not addressed promptly and appropriately, these feelings of loneliness can impair work performance and increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and dementia. The office of the US Surgeon General has officially equated the effect of unabated loneliness to smoking fifteen cigarettes a day. And feelings of loneliness are not easily overcome, often compounded by social anxiety or low self-esteem – which can make it that much harder to find and pursue crucial human connections.

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