Recently, I was asked to leave an ultrasound clinic because I had chatted too long with a couple I had just met in the waiting room. We struck up a conversation after the lovely lady complimented me on my skirt.

I could have said thanks and returned to my phone, but instead I made a conscious decision to put it away and be open to a new connection. The conversation uncovered many delightful facts about them both and spanned many topics: theatre, travel, politics and even the ancient Irish origins of bards and their modern equivalents. Very deep for ultrasound clinic chit-chat.

At 5:05pm the receptionist came over to politely ask us to leave – the clinic staff had already gone home and we had lost track of time!

After our conversation, I felt something I have rarely ever felt after typing out a message to someone on social media. Light. Happy. Connected.

Last year, experts created the first-ever guidelines to combat loneliness. Shockingly, the health impacts of social isolation are........

© The Guardian