Andrea Kirby

This week (4–10 August) marks Loneliness Awareness Week in Australia. The theme is #MomentsMatter – a simple, powerful reminder that human connection doesn’t always require grand gestures. Sometimes, it’s the small moments that matter most: a shared laugh, an unexpected chat, or the spark of conversation that lifts your whole day.



And yet, we’re in the midst of what many are calling a loneliness epidemic.

The Reality of Loneliness in Australia

We like to think of ourselves as a friendly, social bunch. But the data tells a different story.

• 1 in 3 Australians feel lonely.
• 1 in 4 say they don’t have a best friend.
• 1 in 3 experience loneliness in the workplace.
• For younger Australians, the numbers are even more confronting:
  2 in 5 feel lonely at any given time, and
  1 in 7 experience persistent loneliness.

These aren't just statistics. They're reminders of the growing gap between what we need as humans and how we’re currently living.

The Cost of Convenience

In the race toward greater “convenience”—working from home, ordering in, watching the world from a screen—we’ve made life easier, but not necessarily better.

There was a time when connection was built into the rhythm of our days: bumping into colleagues in the hallway, grabbing coffee with a friend, staying after an event to chat with someone new. Now, many of those micro-moments have disappeared.

Of course, not everyone is wired the same way. For some, especially many neurodivergent people, time alone is grounding and restorative. But for many of us, the shift to staying home more and seeing people less has quietly worn away at our wellbeing.

Why Connection Is More Than Just “Nice to Have”

Human connection isn’t a luxury — it’s a biological need. Studies show that social connection:

• Reduces the risk of anxiety and depression
• Boosts immunity
• Increases longevity
• Enhances problem-solving and creativity
• And perhaps most importantly, it gives us energy

When we feel truly seen, heard, and valued by others, we thrive. And while family time is important, it’s not the only form of connection we need.

We’re social creatures — and community matters.

So What Can We Do?

If you’ve felt more isolated lately, you’re not alone. But there are ways back.

It starts with a simple choice: choose connection.

• Choose the event that stretches you.
• Choose the workshop that energises you.
• Choose the community that feels like your people.
• Choose to show up — even if you’re tired or it’s easier not to.

Before COVID, our events brought people together to learn, share, and build lasting friendships. And even now, when it feels harder to gather, many of us still crave that sense of belonging.

We need to stop seeing connection as optional — or worse, as indulgent. It’s not.

It’s the thread that ties our days together. It’s the thing that makes the work more meaningful, the challenges more bearable, and the wins more joyful.

This Loneliness Awareness Week, Let’s Make Our Moments Matter

Let this week be a nudge, a reminder, a prompt.

To pick up the phone.
To book the ticket.
To say yes to the invite.

To make a moment — because it matters.

You never know who needs it. You never know how