How To Be Lonely

What you’ll get from this course:

This course offers a practical, compassionate roadmap for navigating loneliness — not as a weakness, but as a source of wisdom and strength. You’ll learn how to:
Understand the biology and psychology of loneliness
Break the “loneliness loop”
Identify and nurture the three core types of connection we all need
Navigate digital technology as both a bridge and a barrier
Reconnect with others and with yourself using heart-based practices

Whether you’re feeling isolated, stuck, or simply want to better support your own or others’ social wellbeing, this course is a guide to reconnecting — gently, honestly, and and in a way that lasts.

Who it’s for:
This course is open to everyone — no prior experience required. It may be especially helpful for those who:
Feel isolated, disconnected, or “stuck” in social avoidance
Are going through a major life change, illness, or loss
Live with chronic conditions that limit connection or energy
Work in wellness, education, or leadership and want tools to better understand loneliness
Support others who are lonely (e.g. carers, community leaders, HR professionals)

Why I created this course:
Loneliness is something we all experience — not just during major life transitions, but in everyday moments too. Sometimes it’s acute. Sometimes it’s just a quiet ache. But beneath it all, loneliness is a signal — one that calls us back to connection, which is a biological imperative.
Drawing on my decade of research into loneliness and digital wellbeing, I combine insights from neuroscience and psychology with guided meditation practices grounded in heart coherence and self-compassion. I hold an MSc in Organisational Psychology and have spoken on social and digital wellbeing at over 100 organisations including the United Nations and University of Cambridge. I’ve also been a yoga and meditation teacher since 2012.
This course is also deeply personal. In 2022, I developed a serious chronic neurological condition that radically changed how I connect with others, and with myself. I’ve spent long stretches of time housebound, and much of this course was created in 15-minute increments while managing fatigue and pain. What I share here comes not just from theory, but from lived experience. From the inside out.
As neuroscientist Dr. Dan Lieberman says, human connection, when understood, can be a superpower. But if ignored, it becomes our kryptonite. This course helps you harness that power with awareness, insight, and kindness.

Prerequisites:
No prior experience with meditation is required, though having a basic practice may help. If you’re new, you’ll be gently guided through each practice step by step.

Reviews

Thank you for this course!

Fantastic. Thank you Chris. This is amazing work. The optimism in your voice shines through. It emanates from a soul who must, for a time, reside in the dark forest created when our body betrays us. Though you currently dwell in one of the worst breeding grounds for loneliness, there is not a hint of self pity or despair. There is elegance in how you have provided a way to cradle those emotions for a bit. Then ever reminding us not to shame ourselves into a worse state, but to always return to our hearts where we can always find tenderness and love for ourselves and others. We just need to put our hands there, breathe, and trust it to be so. Thank you for sharing your story and heart.

Very good course. Thought-provoking and helpful. Thank you!

This was such a great course on essentially normalizing loneliness as a signal and not a personal failing. Thank you so much for the rich information and the incredible support!

Incredibly informative while also being nurturing and uplifting.

This is a difficult and an unusual theme here on IT, but you highlated many of the different aspects in personal and interesting ways. 🙏

This was such a gently supportive course. It was very helpful 🙏 Thank you for sharing your experience and expertise.

Thank you, this was an excellent course Chris, I learnt a lot about connection and loneliness and helped create more awareness for when I get into a loneliness loop.

Thank you Chris for this wonderful course! You described the loneliness loop and the 3 magnets very clearly and provided achievable solutions. Warm regards for you 🪷🤲

This and you are inspirational!!! Appreciate your teaching and stay strong!!