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Earlier this week, I had the great fortune of spending two evenings with some of my closest friends. We went for dinner drinks, to watch a string quartet play by candlelight, and tour the history-rich behemoth that is Glasgow Central Train Station.

As I sat under the arched brickwork of the venue in which the quartet played, watching the enthusiasm pour from every inch of the musicians happy to get back to business, scanning the still silence of the masked audience so happy to be hearing live music again, I glanced over at the friends sitting by my side and smiled.

We don’t get to do that sort of thing often, but we DO make the effort to do it. For over two decades, I’ve had the privilege of calling these people friends, and we’ve all made the effort to keep it that way. These are the sorts of people that you happily allow to assassinate your character in ways that would otherwise get you fired or jailed. Through these foul terms of endearment is love, and a silent knowledge that anyone of us would drop everything if any of the others asked for help.

These rare nights with friends recharge me more than almost anything else. They make me more focused for work, not less. They clear my mind of the minutia and unnecessary worries of the working day, and put me in the best frame of mind through which to deliver my most creative and impactful work the next day.

I realize wholeheartedly that not everyone has this good fortune. Loneliness is very real. Reading just the first few stats on the Campaign to End Loneliness website will chill your bones.

For those that are lonely, it’d be obscenely rich for me to pretend to give advice. I will, however, share the story of a friend who I found to be brave and inspiring when he came to Glasgow for his PhD, not knowing anyone. He, to his eternal credit, openly described his loneliness and desire for more social interaction outside the working day. To tackle the problem, he put himself out there on platforms like Meet Up to find the others in a similar traveler’s position.

So, consider those friendships that you might be able to hold more closely. Who can you check in on? Who can you share a reflection with? Who can you thank for a happy memory? Who can help you connect with the broader world and recharge you towards giving your best when you return to work?

Who could you reach out to and extend a hand of much-needed friendship?

If you have a question for Marc, upload an audio recording for it to be featured on a later Q&A episode!