How can I tell if I am lonely? What are some of the signs?

Without even realising it, your world gradually gets smaller: less walking, fewer days in the office, cancelling on friends.

Published: 14 August 2025
  • national
  • 14 August 2025
  • The Conversation

You might start to feel a bit flat or disconnected. Subtle changes in habit and mood take hold. Could you be … lonely?

It’s not a label many of us identify with easily, especially if you know you’ve got friends, or are in a happy relationship.

But loneliness can happen to us all from time to time – and identifying it is the first step to fixing it.