On a late fall afternoon in 2018, Max Salman sat at the piano in front of the University of Waterloo library, his jazz melodies echoing around campus. Students and faculty paused to listen, but Salman was surprised when one approached, tears streaming down his face. “Thank you,” he said. “Your piano saved my life.”

The young man told Salman that he’d been going through a rough time, and the music provided “a joyful distraction.” Salman realized that small acts—as simple as placing a piano on campus—could impact the well-being of his community.

One in four Canadians experience extreme loneliness and isolation, according to a recent Angus Reid survey. Experts say those feelings of disconnection can contribute to more serious mental health problems, compounding what is already a mental health crisis in Canada.

“What we see nationally is a huge spike in anxiety and mood disorders,” says Dr. Michael Ungar, psychologist and professor of social work at Dalhousie University.

Assisting people who face those challenges is a job for mental health professionals. However, we all have the power to do something about contributing factors like isolation, with simple community-building actions.

For Salman, inspiration struck at a summer BBQ when the host mentioned he was trying to get rid of a small upright piano. Although Salman is studying geophysics, not psychology, he understood the therapeutic value of music from his experience playing jazz piano. He got permission from university administration to set up the instrument on campus for anyone to play, imaging that music would make campus life more relaxed for stressed-out students.

The idea took off, with five public pianos now stationed around Waterloo campus. Dubbed Open Pianos in University Spaces (OPUS), university officials believe the project is creating stronger campus connections.

“The music sets a relaxed tone for these common areas and adds to the sense of community,” says Dr. Walter Mittelstaedt, the university’s director for campus wellness.

Music isn’t the only tool to fight loneliness. In London, England, a group called Craftmoves placed colouring books and origami paper on city buses and subways to bring riders out of their shells. It’s one of a number of micro-projects supported by The Loneliness Lab, a non-profit dedicated to improving well-being in the UK capital.

If you’re part of a service club or similar local group, organizing cultural events like a neighbourhood Chinese New Year celebration, Eid dinner or Diwali party, can help immigrant families or foreign students feel less like strangers isolated from their communities.

Ungar points to other countries where it’s common to find permanently-installed chess boards—and even ping pong tables—in public spaces.

Dog parks are a great loneliness-buster. “Even if you don’t talk with other dog owners, there’s a shared experience,” says Ungar.

These small acts don’t just bring people together. Ungar says they also give individuals a chance to share something about themselves—skills, hobbies or culture, providing a powerful boost for personal well-being.

So get creative. What can you do to help people in your community build connections and overcome loneliness? Like ripples of music spreading across a campus, small actions can have far-reaching impact on the mental health and well-being of everyone around us.