Like many of you, I work mainly from home. Most of the time, it is a great place to work. My children are grown, so there are very few distractions. My wife leads a busy life and works part-time, so I’m often alone at my desk during the day. Normally, I don’t mind this isolation. It helps me focus and get my writing done in peace.

The other day, I was working alone and began to feel a bit lonely. I don’t mind being on my own, but loneliness struck. I just wish I had someone to chat with in that moment.

Loneliness, especially in the post-pandemic world, is an epidemic. Don’t take it from me: That’s coming from U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy. In a paper outlining the epidemic of loneliness and isolation, he said loneliness is much more than an unpleasant emotion — it poses serious risks to both individual and societal well-being. It increases the likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and even experiencing premature death. The impact of social isolation on mortality, according to the paper, is comparable to smoking up to 15 cigarettes daily and exceeds the risks associated with obesity and physical inactivity. On a broader scale, the lack of social connection affects schools, workplaces, and civic organizations, reducing performance, productivity, and engagement across society.

This is not a column on remote work, but Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2024 report shows one in five employees report experienced loneliness a lot the previous day. According to the Gallup report, loneliness is more prevalent among employees younger than age 35 than it is for those aged 35 and older. The same percentages of working men and working women report loneliness: each 20%. Job levels also seemed to have little association with loneliness. Of all the variables Gallup analyzed, work location shows the biggest differences in employees’ experiences with loneliness. Fully remote employees report significantly higher levels of loneliness (25%) than do those who work exclusively on-site (16%) — hybrid workers fall in between at 21%.

Loneliness and isolation is destructive in so many ways and is often worse during the holiday season for many. People who are lonely experience emotional pain. Losing a sense of connection and community can change the way a person sees the world. Someone experiencing chronic loneliness may feel threatened and mistrustful of others.

The political climate of the U.S. isn’t helping. Loneliness caused by political unease is a form of existential disconnection. It fuels chronic anxiety, depression, depersonalization, and distrust and resembles a continuous, low-grade collective panic attack. It creates a sense that threats are everywhere, making the world around us feel poisoned and unwelcoming. We no longer see the environment as “our” world but as something alien and strange. This dislocation drives us to withdraw, leaving us feeling helpless and abandoned. Much of our energy is spent in self-defense, proving our worth, and merely surviving, leaving little room for creativity or growth. The effort is all-consuming and utterly draining.

So during this holiday season, take a moment to reach out to your remote work colleagues. Give them a call and ask how they are doing. Send a card and let them know you are thinking about them. Make connections in your workplace and in your community, even if you do work remotely.

Attorney General Murthy said: “If we fail to do so, we will pay an ever-increasing price in the form of our individual and collective health and well-being. And we will continue to splinter and divide until we can no longer stand as a community or a country. Instead of coming together to take on the great challenges before us, we will further retreat to our corners — angry, sick, and alone.”