Loneliness can be dangerous. And the holiday season for many can be a breeding ground for the kind of aching loneliness that causes both mental and physical issues.

“Increased risk for cardiovascular disease, a 26% increase in risk of premature mortality and poor mental health outcomes, especially depression” can be results of protracted loneliness, said Dr. Holly A. Swartz in Psychiatry Online . “Never married and divorced people were the most lonely during the holidays,” said Daniel Perlman, an emeritus professor of human development and family studies at UNC Greensboro, in a research paper on loneliness . Practical tools, though, can help soften or alleviate the solo pangs.

Get out into the world

“Awareness and self-reflection are the first steps,” said Jake Van Epps, PhD, a

See Full Page