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There’s one thing I’ve become increasingly unwilling to compromise on in my own life: Maintaining longstanding relationships, even when they are difficult and take work.

We’re taught to evaluate big life decisions by looking at what we stand to gain: more money, a better job, a new city, greater opportunity. But there’s another cost we rarely calculate - what those choices may do to our relationships. In this week’s article, Dr. James Ellis explores the social price of mobility, why we’ve learned to undervalue the people and communities we leave behind, and why connection deserves a place on the balance sheet when we define success.

I've been thinking a lot lately about rejection. Not because rejection is unusual - it isn't. If you're putting yourself out there socially, you're going to experience it. A text won't get answered. A date won't turn into a relationship. You'll reach out to someone who never reaches back. You'll leave a party wondering if you really fit in.

As a psychologist who studies loneliness, I spend a lot of time talking about the importance of social connection. But this experience reminded me that relationships aren't just there to celebrate birthdays or holidays. They're part of our resilience. They're the infrastructure that quietly carries us through life's unexpected moments.

This week, I have extra focused on the health effects of loneliness because several important studies published over the past six months have added to a growing body of evidence that social connection is not just a "nice-to-have" - it's a critical component of mental and physical health.

How technology and convenience culture are reshaping our expectations of friendship, dating, and human connection—and why real relationships still require effort.

This past week, after sharing my thoughts on how we show up for each other in times of need, I was so grateful to hear from so many of you. I spent a lot of time reading your messages. You told me about losing people you loved and feeling the silence that followed. You told me about health scares, moments where your life shifted, and the people you assumed would be there simply… weren’t. You shared stories about some of the most vulnerable periods of your life, and what stood

I had the privilege of being a guest on the phenomenal podcast “I Hate You. What’s For Dinner?” with two psychologists I deeply admire, Dr. Gillian Boudreau and Dr. Robert Galligan. We dug into why so many people feel alone right now and how modern life is subtly rewiring the way we pursue, evaluate, and sustain relationships. While we covered a lot of ground, one idea kept rising to the surface: as loneliness deepens, it won’t be enough for our children to be socially skil

I came across something this week that left me unsettled. Two major publications posted articles on social media with titles like:“I Regret Having Children.”and “I Regret Getting Married.” Now, moments of doubt, frustration, or even regret are part of any meaningful relationship. Parenting can be exhausting. Marriage can go through painful chapters. Anyone who tells you otherwise isn’t being honest. What troubled me about these headlines is the way they flatten something comp

In my work, I’ve come to see that many people don’t have family nearby, and many don’t have close friends they see regularly. But almost everyone has neighbors. And the unfortunate part is, we tend to overlook them as a real and accessible source of connection. As someone who hasn’t lived near family for over 30 years, I’ve learned how important neighbors can be. They’re often the closest, most accessible source of support we have. But those relationships don’t just happen. T