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The Group Guide
Connecting people to community
Client and Family Education
What to know about

Loneliness and the Holidays

The holidays are built around being with people. If you do not have people this year, every ad, song, and photo points at the gap. That hurts, and it is more common than it looks. Almost 4 in 10 adults say missing family or loved ones is part of their holiday stress. This page has small moves that work, and a way to find a group that meets through the season.

This page is for

Anyone facing the holidays with fewer people than they want. New in town, far from family, newly single or widowed.
Family and friends who want to help someone who is alone.

Safety first

If being alone comes with lasting low mood or thoughts of ending your life, call or text 988 now.

What helps

Say yes to the imperfect invite. The coworker's open house. The neighbor's thing. It does not have to be family to count.
Pick one standing thing. A group that meets every week beats one big event. Same people, same time, through December.
Give, not just get. A volunteer shift on the holiday puts you in a room with people and gives the day a shape.
What to expect
1The first visit is the hardest. Go three times before you decide if a group fits.
2Showing up counts. You can mostly listen. Doing something side by side takes the pressure off talking.
3The day itself is often easier than the days of dreading it. Plan the morning, and the rest tends to follow.

What the research says, in plain words.

A review of 148 studies and more than 300,000 people found those with stronger social ties were 50% more likely to survive over the study periods. Being part of groups mattered most.1
The US Surgeon General calls loneliness a public health problem. About half of adults say they feel it, and the risk to health is on par with smoking.2
A review of 50 studies found the programs that ease loneliness most are the ones that change how we think about being with people, not just adding events.3
Finding a group this season
Look for groups that do not break for the holidays. Many community, peer, and faith groups meet right through. Ask.
Try a shared-interest group. A walking group, a book club, a game night. Talking about the thing is easier than talking about yourself.
Online works too. If getting out is hard, many groups meet by video. You still see the same faces each week.
Questions to ask before you go
1Does the group meet during the holidays, or take a break?
2Can I come once without signing up for anything?
3Is it in person, online, or both?

Ready to find a group?

Scan to see groups on this topic, or browse 2,000+ therapy, support, and community groups in all 50 states.

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In crisis? Call or text 988 (US Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 24/7).

The Group Guide is a directory, not a clinic. This handout is general education, not medical or mental health advice. Listings are written by group leaders and are not endorsements. Confirm details, cost, and fit with any group you contact. Sources on page 2.

The Group Guide
Connecting people to community
Client and Family Education

Sources

Loneliness and the Holidays · references keyed to the numbers on page 1.

1Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., & Layton, J. B. Social relationships and mortality risk: a meta-analytic review. PLoS Medicine (2010), 7(7), e1000316.

2Office of the U.S. Surgeon General. Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community (2023).

3Masi, C. M., Chen, H.-Y., Hawkley, L. C., & Cacioppo, J. T. A meta-analysis of interventions to reduce loneliness. Personality and Social Psychology Review (2011), 15(3), 219–266.

In crisis? Call or text 988 (US Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 24/7).

The Group Guide is a directory, not a clinic. This handout is general education, not medical or mental health advice. Listings are written by group leaders and are not endorsements. Confirm details, cost, and fit with any group you contact.