Connection · Friendship & community
Reconnect: practical steps for loneliness
Six short lessons on how to deal with loneliness in practical ways: tell loneliness and isolation apart, spot your own pattern, add small daily contacts, find a group or volunteering role, use online tools well, and write a four-week plan. With support lines for Australia, the UK and the US.
About this course
Loneliness: practical steps to feel more connected.
Starter · About 1 hour of learning · 6 lessons · 13 quick checks · 1 download
Who it's for
Adults in Australia, the UK, the US and elsewhere who feel lonely or want to support someone who does.
How it works
6 guided lessons in your browser, with worked examples, exercises and a quick check after each lesson. Progress is saved in this browser only, and you can restart at any time. You start with just your first name and email, and you can take one whole course that way. After that, a free account lets you continue past lesson 1.
Sources we rely on
20 published sources, mostly regulators and official bodies, listed below so you can check the original guidance yourself.
By the end you can
- Tell loneliness and social isolation apart and recognize when to seek professional support
- Keep a one-week log and spot the patterns to act on
- Schedule small daily contacts that target your hardest times
- Choose a group or volunteering role and a support service to try
- Write a four-week reconnect plan
Downloads
- Reconnect plan .docxFull versions of the course exercises: one-week loneliness log, online week audit, small-contact menu, group and service picker, four-week plan and AU/UK/US support numbers.
Rules by country
Learning time
About 1 hour of learning. May count towards your CPD or professional development; check your professional body's rules. Estimated from reading time, exercises, quick checks and downloads.
Sources
Check the originals.
How these courses are made. Spotted an error or out-of-date rule? Send a correction.
Not therapy or counseling. If you're struggling, please contact a support service. In an emergency call 000 (AU), 999 (UK), 911 (US/Canada) or 111 (NZ). Anywhere else, call your local emergency number.
- Social connection linked to improved health and reduced risk of early death (news release, 30 June 2025) · World Health Organization
- Loneliness and isolation · healthdirect (Australian Government-funded health information service)
- Understanding feelings of loneliness · Medicare Mental Health (Australian Government)
- Loneliness and Social Isolation: Tips for Staying Connected · National Institute on Aging, NIH (US)
- Feeling lonely · NHS (UK)
- Loneliness (Every Mind Matters) · NHS (UK)
- Improving Social Connectedness · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US)
- 30 ways to connect and overcome loneliness · Beyond Blue (AU)
- Relationship scams · Scamwatch, National Anti-Scam Centre (ACCC, Australia)
- Online dating · eSafety Commissioner (Australia)
- Volunteer opportunities, rights and expenses: find volunteer opportunities · GOV.UK
- Volunteer · AmeriCorps (US federal agency)
- Lifeline crisis support: 13 11 14 · Lifeline Australia
- Talk to a counsellor · Beyond Blue (AU)
- Contact a Samaritan · Samaritans (UK and Ireland)
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline · 988 Lifeline (US)
- Triple Zero · Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts (AU)
- Contact the police · GOV.UK
- Eldercare Locator · Administration for Community Living (US)
- National 911 Program · 911.gov, NHTSA (US)
Publisher
Who publishes this course.
Published by trainyourself.org, a trading name of Combine TRS Pty Ltd (ABN 42 112 983 678), Brisbane, Australia.
How it's made: researched from published official, public-health, university and support-service guidance (general education, not counselling or therapy), then run through automated quality checks against our course depth standard and automated source checks that match each rule to its official source, listed above. Read how these courses are made.
Last updated:
General education, not counseling, therapy, medical or legal advice. If you are struggling, contact one of the support services named in this course; in an emergency, call your local emergency number. Spotted an error or an out-of-date rule? Send us a correction.
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