Help prevent loneliness and spread a little joy this Christmas

Christmas is the season of joy, gift-giving and… loneliness?

Christmas and the festive season can be a magical time filled with family and friends getting together to share food, presents and memories. But for some, this time of year only highlights a lack of support, a limited social network, or an abundance of empty chairs.

If you’re one of the fortunate ones with time, family and love to spare, this season is a powerful opportunity to share a little of that Christmas joy around – and help prevent loneliness during the holidays.

What is loneliness, really?

Humans are social creatures. A lot of our behaviour, development and survival depends on the social interactions we have with others.

Loneliness is the painful gap between the amount or quality of social connection we have and the amount or quality we long for. It’s not just “being alone” – it’s feeling disconnected.

Unfortunately, loneliness is more common than we might hope. In both the UK and USA:

• An estimated 30%–43% of older adults report feeling lonely sometimes

• 5%–9% feel lonely often

• Around 2% feel lonely always

After long periods of isolation in recent years, loneliness is likely to have increased further. And social media can make it worse – we compare ourselves to other people’s highlight reels and feel we’re somehow falling short.

How loneliness and drinking are linked

One of the reasons loneliness can be so damaging is that it often goes hand in hand with unhealthy coping strategies, including increased drinking.

Loneliness is strongly linked to psychological distress, and alcohol can become an easy way to:

• Self-medicate difficult emotions

• Numb boredom or long, empty evenings

• “Pass the time” when there’s no one around

It’s also associated with other negative lifestyle factors like physical inactivity and smoking. Loneliness can contribute to depression and other mental health difficulties – which in turn are linked with higher alcohol use.

Drinking more, more often can then create its own cluster of problems:

• Short term: increased risk of falls, accidents, injury, poor judgement and memory lapses

• Long term: dehydration, high blood pressure, weakened immune system and damage to vital organs

So when we reduce loneliness, we’re not just helping emotional wellbeing – we may also be helping someone reduce their risk of alcohol-related harm.

How you can help prevent loneliness during the holidays

If you want to support someone who might be struggling this Christmas, here are some simple but powerful ways to make a difference.

1. Check in with your neighbours

Whether you live in a busy apartment block or on a quiet street with just a few houses, it’s easy to live near people without ever really knowing them.

Small gestures can have a big impact:

• Slip a festive card through the letterbox

• Drop off some home baking or a little treat

• Suggest grabbing a coffee or short walk

The activity itself doesn’t matter nearly as much as the message: You’re not invisible. Someone nearby cares.

2. Make plans in advance

Life is busy, and it’s easy to lose track of how long it’s been since you last saw someone. But having something in the diary to look forward to can completely change how a person feels about the weeks ahead.

Think about:

• Booking a catch-up with someone you suspect might be spending a lot of time alone

• Setting a date for a walk, movie night, board games or lunch

• Checking in with people who might not have family around this year

For someone feeling lonely, that one plan in their calendar might be the spark of joy that gets them through a difficult patch.

3. Text, call – or even write a letter

We’re incredibly lucky that staying in touch has never been easier. What feels tiny to you can be huge to someone else:

• A quick “How are you getting on?” text

• A 10-minute phone call to check in

• A handwritten card or letter to show you were thinking of them

These small contacts might be the only social interaction someone has all week. Building a habit of reaching out regularly is a simple, powerful way to show you care.

Feeling lonely yourself this year?

If you’re the one feeling lonely – and maybe noticing your drinking creeping up as a result – you’re not alone, and you don’t have to handle it all by yourself.

The OYNB community is active 24/7 and ready to welcome you with open arms. It’s a global, alcohol-free support network built on:

• Encouragement

• Non-judgement

• Sharing wins

• Lifting each other up on the tougher days

There is always someone awake, somewhere in the world, who understands what you’re going through.

Spreading festive cheer, for real

The holidays can be a beautiful time – but also a painful one. Loneliness exists year-round, but during a season that’s “supposed” to be about togetherness, the contrast can feel especially sharp.

This is exactly why your actions matter:

• Taking a moment to think about who might be alone

• Playing your part in creating a culture of compassion

• Making others feel welcome, seen and valued

• Doing what you can – however small – to help prevent loneliness

These aren’t grand gestures. They’re human ones. And together, they can spread more genuine festive cheer than any advert, sale or party ever could.

Take the challenge

If you’d like support to change your relationship with alcohol while you’re working on connection and wellbeing, joining an OYNB alcohol-free challenge could be a powerful next step – for 28, 90 or 365 days.

Sources:

Association of Alcohol Use and Loneliness Frequency Among Middle-Aged and Older Adult Drinkers. Sarah L. Canham, PhD, Pia M. Mauro, PhD, Christopher N. Kaufmann. 2015.Loneliness and alcohol abuse: a review of evidence of an interplay. Akerlind I, Hörnquist JO. Soc Sci Med. 1992.The effect of loneliness on depression: A meta-analysis. Erzen E, Çikrikci Ö. International Journal of Social Psychiatry. 2018.