Loneliness and Isolation
Why so many Australians feel lonely, the health impacts of isolation, and how to create more connection in your life.
By Amanda Davies
Feeling lonely is something most of us experience at some point in life.
For some people it’s simply a passing mood, but for more and more people, it can become a persistent and deeply distressing experience of feeling alone and disconnected. In Australia, loneliness is more widespread than you might think, and chronic feelings of loneliness affects how we feel, how we interact with others, our work and hobbies, and even our long-term health.
Current data indicates around one in six people in Australia report often feeling lonely, a figure that has remained consistent over recent years but is still higher than in the early 2000s. Around 30 per cent of people do not feel part of a group of friends, and many young people report anxiety around social situations. Young adults aged 15 to 25 are particularly affected by loneliness, with research suggesting more than 40 per cent feel lonely at least some of the time. Overall, about one third of Australians feel lonely some or all of the time.
Loneliness is not simply being alone, it is the subjective experience of feeling lonely, disconnected or that our social needs aren't being met. You could be surrounded by people and still feel lonely, or paradoxically you might spend time alone and feel contented and not lonely at all. What matters most when we are considering loneliness is how our inner experience and perception matches our needs or desires for connection.
Why Loneliness Matters so Much
Loneliness is more than just an unpleasant feeling that we need to come to terms with - it can have very real consequences for mental and physical health. Research shows us that low levels of social connection and chronic loneliness are linked to lower mental health outcomes, including higher rates of depression and anxiety.
Social isolation and loneliness have also been associated with worse long-term health and even an increased risk of premature death, risks that in some studies are comparable to the effects of smoking or physical inactivity. Social connection, on the other hand, is consistently associated with better mental health, resilience to stress, and stronger recovery from mental illness.
If you’ve read our recent blog on What Really Predicts Your Health at 80, you’ll already know that meaningful relationships and social satisfaction are considered some of the strongest factors contributing to long-term health and wellbeing - more so than diet or exercise alone. Strong social connections buffer stress, support emotional regulation, and help us thrive across our lives.
What causes such extreme feelings of Loneliness?
Occasional feelings of loneliness are not uncommon, but more consistent, chronic loneliness can take hold due to a range of life circumstances and patterns:
Life Transitions. Bigger events like moving to a new city, starting or finishing study, changing jobs, becoming a parent, divorce, or retiring can disrupt the reliability of our usual social networks.
Attachment History. Early relational experiences influence how comfortable we feel with being close to others, with everyone having different needs and expectations relating to intimacy, vulnerability, and trust.
Negative Self-Beliefs. Thoughts like “I’m not interesting enough” or “No-one really wants to spend time with me” can become "self-fulfilling prophecies" that stop us from reaching out.
Social Anxiety and Avoidance. For many people, anxiety about how others will respond to them makes social situations feel overwhelming rather than rewarding, particularly when facing new people or new environments.
Modern Life Pressures. Digital connection often replaces in-person connection, but screens rarely substitute for depth of human presence. Financial stress, long work hours, and widening social inequality can also contribute to the breaking of community ties.
Loneliness is not a character flaw. It is a human experience that signals a need for connection, much like hunger signals a need for food. Understanding the underlying thoughts and patterns provides information that can help us find pathways forward.
How Life Coaching and Hypnotherapy Can Help
Loneliness does not always shift on its own, and sometimes these feelings don't shift even after making efforts to socialise or connect more with others. This is especially true when the causes are tied to deeper beliefs, seeking safety through certainty and emotional avoidance, or unconscious patterns that seem to repeat throughout life. This is where life coaching and hypnotherapy can be helpful.
Life Coaching supports you by identifying patterns that keep you feeling disconnected, clarifying your values around relationships, and having guidance to develop and take practical steps. Life coaching can help you explore questions like:
What kind of relationships do I actually want?
What situations energise me socially and what feels draining?
What small steps am I willing to take to meet new people or strengthen existing connections?
What internal blocks are holding me back from risk-taking in relationships?
Coaching is forward-focused and action-oriented, helping you to build confidence levels, refine social skills, and seek out opportunities for meaningful connection.
Hypnotherapy works at a subconscious level to shift the deeper persistent beliefs (that show up as negative self talk) and emotional triggers that keep people stuck in patterns of loneliness. It can help reduce social anxiety, change negative self-talk, and increase comfort with vulnerability and intimacy. Hypnotherapy also helps you develop more automatic nervous system regulation so that you naturally feel calmer and more resilient in social interactions.
Both life coaching and hypnotherapy sessions are personalised to address your specific situation and your unique experience. They provide a compassionate space to explore your relationship with loneliness and connection, and to build new mental, emotional and behavioural habits that enable more satisfying social interactions.
How to Begin Finding more Connection in Everyday Life
It sounds simple but the antidote to loneliness is connection!
Connection does not need to be perfect or dramatic. It starts with small, consistent efforts:
Reach Out First. Send a short message to an old friend to ask how they are, invite someone to meet for coffee or walk, go to a creative workshop or join a community group related to your hobbies. These are all ways you can open up new pathways for connection.
Prioritise Presence. Focus on listening to others with curiosity in conversations, askign questions to get deeper into a topic and understand them.
Practice Vulnerability. Letting someone see you being yourself, or sharing something a little more personal creates the possibility for deeper connection.
Community Participation. Volunteering, group classes, or meet-ups around shared interests such as bush walking, tree planting, cooking, music, arts, crafts or hobbies, are all great ways to build new connections without the pressure of forced small talk. Many of these can be found through Facebook groups or your local council.
If the internal barriers feel too big to navigate alone, coaching or hypnotherapy may give you the added confidence and boost of motivation to help you build both comfort and momentum.
Moving forward beyond loneliness
Loneliness may be widespread, but it is not something you have to live with indefinitely. Understanding why it arises, how it affects us, and how to build meaningful connection is both an emotional and a practical journey. Social connection is a key ingredient for long-term wellbeing, and with the right support you can create more satisfying relationships in your life.
If you are struggling with loneliness and want support in understanding and shifting the patterns that hold you back, book an appointment with Amanda Davies online now or call our team on 08 9328 9233.
References
Australian Bureau of Statistics. Measuring What Matters: Social Connections. Australian Government, 2023.
https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/measuring-what-matters/measuring-what-matters-themes-and-indicators/cohesive/social-connectionsSuicide Prevention Australia. Loneliness and Social Isolation Policy Position Paper. Suicide Prevention Australia, 2022.
https://www.suicidepreventionaust.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Loneliness-Social-Isolation-Policy-Position.pdfHolt-Lunstad J, Smith T, Layton J. Social relationships and mortality risk: A meta-analytic review. PLoS Medicine, 2010;7(7):e1000316.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2935112/Leigh-Hunt N, Bagguley D, Bash K, et al. An overview of systematic reviews on the public health consequences of social isolation and loneliness. Public Health, 2017;152:157–171.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11403199/VicHealth. Loneliness in Australia. Victorian Health Promotion Foundation, 2020.
https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/media-and-resources/publications/loneliness-in-australiaRelationships Australia. Loneliness and Social Isolation in Australia. Relationships Australia, 2018. https://www.relationships.org.au/
Perth Natural Medical Clinic. What Really Predicts Your Health at 80. PNMC Blog, 2025.
https://www.pnmc.com.au/blog/what-really-predicts-your-health-at-80