Some seasons of my life, loneliness wasn’t a passing mood—it was the air I breathed. I didn’t always call it by name, but my body did: tight chest, racing thoughts, that sense of being “with people” and still feeling alone. In this conversation, I sit down with Lucy Rose, founder of The Cost of Loneliness Project, to talk honestly about what chronic loneliness does to us—and how we can gently stitch connection back into our days.
We weave together science and story: cortisol and inflammation, yes—but also travel schedules that hollow you out, the “life quakes” that upend everything, and the small, human habits that actually help. If you’ve ever felt unseen in a crowded room (hi, same), this one’s for you.
What we get into:
Chronic vs. passing lonely: how to tell when it’s a blue day…and when it’s a pattern your body is carrying.
Stress biology, plainly: why loneliness spikes cortisol, chips away at immunity, and raises risks for heart disease—and possibly dementia.
Gendered patterns: how many women and men are socialized to buffer loneliness differently (and what to do about it).
Free connection practices: ask better questions, listen longer, volunteer shoulder-to-shoulder, check on one person today.
For kids & teens: signs teachers/parents can watch for—and simple ways to bring a child back into the circle.
Hope with boundaries: when hope fuels healing…and when it keeps us stuck in something that isn’t changing.
If this meets you where you are, share it with someone who might need the language—and the nudge—to reconnect. And as always, I’m glad you’re here.
Connect with Lucy Rose and learn more about the Cost of Loneliness Project.
Thank you for listening to Hope Comes to Visit. If this episode resonated with you, please follow, rate, and share the show — it helps others find their way to these conversations.
New episodes drop every Monday and Friday, so you can begin and end your week with a little light and a lot of hope.
For more stories, reflections, and ways to connect, visit www.DanielleElliottSmith.com or follow along on Instagram @daniellesmithtv and @HopeComestoVisit
xo, Danielle
