Research gap
Social · Practice
Schedule Regular Social Contact
One to three planned social touchpoints a week.
30 min · weekly
Beginner-friendlyAnywhere
Before you start
Over-scheduling can create pressure; adjust to capacity
When to seek a professional
- Persistent loneliness or isolation accompanied by low mood, hopelessness, loss of interest, or withdrawal lasting 2+ weeks: encourage contact with a primary care provider or mental health professional
- Thoughts of self-harm or that life is not worth living: direct to crisis line / emergency services immediately
How to do it
calendar/reminder app (optional)For most adultsOlder adultsRemote workersBusy professionals
Evidence status
Not yet in the evidence base
No internal review in this library has asked this specific practice’s question yet. It’s included as a way to work toward the goal — not because a review has confirmed it works as described.
What a review would need to answer: Does scheduling regular social contact (frequency-based interventions) improve wellbeing, loneliness, or health outcomes independent of relationship quality?
What we won't claim
- Do not present this practice as a treatment or cure for clinical depression, anxiety disorders, or diagnosable loneliness-related conditions
- Do not claim it replaces professional mental-health care
- Do not promise it will prevent disease or extend lifespan for any individual
Records reviewed (20)
These are the records reviewed while writing this entry, each shown with its study design or, where it is not a completed research paper, with what kind of record it is. No internal review has asked this question, so they are background reading rather than evidence a finding rests on.
meta-analysisA systematic review and meta-analysis of 90 cohort studies of social isolation, loneliness and mortality
meta-analysisMeta-analysis: Social Isolation, Loneliness Tied to Higher Mortality.
other designSocial disconnection and mortality: new evidence for old truths.
meta-analysisLoneliness, social isolation, and living alone: a comprehensive systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression of mortality risks in older adults
meta-analysisLoneliness and Social Isolation as Risk Factors for Mortality
meta-analysisAssociation of loneliness with all-cause mortality: A meta-analysis
meta-analysisSocial isolation as a risk factor for all-cause mortality: Systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies
meta-analysisA meta-analysis of the association between loneliness and all-cause mortality in older adults.
meta-analysisLoneliness, social network size and mortality in older adults: a meta-analysis
meta-analysisSocial contact frequency and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis and meta-regression.
meta-analysisLoneliness and social isolation as risk factors for coronary heart disease and stroke: systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal observational studies
meta-analysisLack of Social Support in the Etiology and the Prognosis of Coronary Heart Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
meta-analysisThe impact of social relationships on the risk of stroke and post-stroke mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis
meta-analysisLoneliness, Social Isolation, and Social Support and the Development of Type II Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
meta-analysisAssociations between dimensions of the social environment and cardiometabolic health outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis
systematic reviewAn overview of systematic reviews on the public health consequences of social isolation and loneliness.
systematic reviewPotential impact of physical distancing on physical and mental health: a rapid narrative umbrella review of meta-analyses on the link between social connection and health
narrative reviewThe Major Health Implications of Social Connection
narrative reviewSocial connection as a critical factor for mental and physical health: evidence, trends, challenges, and future implications
meta-analysisInfluences of socioeconomic status, social network, and competence on subjective well-being in later life: a meta-analysis.
Explore all 367 studies in Social →
The full evidence base this focus area draws on, every study with its design and DOI.What it is for
Build a habit that sticksFeel less lonelyFeel more connected to people