As Loneliness Awareness Week approaches in June, it’s a powerful reminder that loneliness doesn’t always look the way we expect it to. You can be surrounded by people and still feel isolated. You can appear to have it all and yet feel unseen.

Michael Jackson once said, “Even at home, I’m lonely. I sit in my room and sometimes cry.” This was a man who had millions of fans, enormous success, and a household name—but still struggled with profound isolation. His words remind us that loneliness isn’t about how many people are around us, but whether we feel emotionally connected, understood, and valued.

Loneliness can come in many forms:

• The new parent who feels overwhelmed but doesn’t know who to talk to.
• The teenager who’s surrounded by peers but feels like no one really knows them.
• The older adult who goes days without speaking to anyone.
• The business owner who’s constantly “on” for others but feels like they have to hold it all together, alone.

At OK Talk, we meet people from all walks of life who carry loneliness quietly—sometimes hidden behind confidence, humour, or busyness. But what we know is this: you’re not alone in feeling alone.

Connection starts with conversation. Whether that’s in a counselling room, during a wellbeing workshop, or over a cuppa at Chatty Café—creating safe, meaningful space to be seen and heard matters. And it works.

So during Loneliness Awareness Week, we invite you to take a small step:

• Reach out to someone.
• Ask a real question.
• Join a group or attend a session you’ve been curious about.
• Or simply acknowledge to yourself, “I feel lonely,” and know that’s OK. That’s human.

If you’re looking for support, community, or just someone to talk to—OK Talk is here for you. Let’s keep the conversation going, not just for a week, but all year round.

Let’s talk. Let’s listen. Let’s connect.