Loneliness has been dubbed the new smoking by health experts, including the Surgeon General of America, Dr. Vivek Murthy, who says that loneliness is as bad for our well–being as smoking fifteen cigarettes daily. The effects are dire. People who are more socially isolated feel the effects of stress more. They are three times more likely to be depressed and also at greater risk for high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and overall poorer heart health.

Yet, according to a Gallup survey, 17 percent of American adults answered yes to the question of whether they felt lonely most of the past day. Unfortunately, as much as 24 percent of young adults answered yes to the same question. Our elderly are also no strangers to the pangs of loneliness; with one in ten of them also answering yes to that question.

As adults, creating and sustaining friendships outside of the typical work and family routines can become a challenge. We lose the natural connections that develop from running into our playmates in our neighborhood and seeing the same faces in school. As the science shows, it takes a literal toll on our hearts.