How to deal with loneliness

Today’s article is about How to deal with loneliness. Everybody feels lonely sometimes and most of us are not aware of how important this feeling is for us.

Have you ever felt all alone in the world? We all do sometimes and it isn’t easy. When you’re going through a difficult time and feel there’s no one to turn to for support, it’s hard to know what to do. But those who are feeling isolated or alone should know there are always people who care about their wellbeing.

Why do we feel lonely and what can we do about it? I’m sharing 10 GREAT TIPS on how to deal with loneliness (emptiness).

1. Identify the cause why you feel lonely:

We cannot find a solution to a problem until we better understand what the problem is and where it comes from. It may be the result of moving, a career change, a bad breakup, or a falling out with a friend or family member.

Long-term loneliness can be fueled by mental illness, chronic physical illnesses that keep us from living an active life, loss of mobility due to sickness or aging, or friendships and relationships that don’t quite fit.

People are social creatures. Most people need to have some social connections that fit appropriately for them to stave off feelings of loneliness. Being around people who are a wrong fit in personality or emotional capacity can also make a person lonely.

A person who is unique and doesn’t quite fit into a standard social mold may also feel alone because they just can’t envision themselves as part of any collective unit.

2. Accept The Loneliness as Normal:

Just knowing that others around the globe are experiencing the same feelings of loneliness can be helpful. As mentioned earlier, 40% of people will experience loneliness at some point in time. That number may seem high-after all, the internet and social networking make it easier than ever to connect. But loneliness is subjective. It’s possible to feel lonely even if you have a significant other, children, or lots of friends.

So if you’re looking for an answer on how to cure loneliness in your own life, just realize there are millions of others feeling the same way. This normal emotion is one that almost everyone experiences at some point, and it’s something that you can overcome.

3. Find Support Online

Because loneliness is a somewhat widespread issue, there are many people online who are looking for people to connect with.

You do have to be careful of who you meet over the internet (and, obviously, don’t give out any personal information like your bank account number), but you can find real support, connection, and lasting friendships from people you meet online.

4. Remember loneliness is temporary.

Even if you’re feeling lonely now, that doesn’t mean you’ll always feel lonely or you’ll never find a community that nourishes you. “You are the architecture of your future,” Balestrieri says. “You get to go out and make new bonds.” She adds that absolutely everyone has something to offer in relationships. You’ve just got to go out and create them.

5. A pet may help

Animals are great at making us feel connected and cared for. Pets, especially dogs and cats can reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and ease loneliness. If you’re not ready for the responsibility of owning a pet, you could always get into pet minding.

Ask your neighbors and friends if they have a dog you could take for a walk occasionally, or a cat you could come over to visit and pet. If all else fails, head to a dog park! Added bonus, everyone loves animals, so kicking it with a pet is a guaranteed way to meet new people.

6. Stop your negative thought cycles.

We might repeatedly think about what we could have done differently to prevent ourselves from feeling so alone. We ruminate on the events or people or causes because we mistakenly believe that thinking about our loneliness over and over again will help us solve it. Unfortunately, it does us no good to get caught up in our thoughts instead of taking the actions we need to feel better.

7. Talk to strangers

A growing body of research suggests that even seemingly trivial interactions with strangers—like chatting with a barista or cashier—may be able to keep loneliness at bay by helping us feel more socially connected. So reach out to other human beings to say hello, ask them how they are or chat about whatever’s on your mind. These small acts can make a big difference and help you reduce feelings of loneliness.

8. Meditate Yourself

Some research has suggested that meditation may ease feelings associated with loneliness and depression. Meditation is also a great way to get more in touch with your feelings of loneliness and start to understand where they come from. Learning to meditate takes time, practice, and guidance, so your best bet is to find a meditation class in your area. If no classes are available in your area, you can also buy CDs that will help you learn how to meditate.

9. Find a volunteer opportunity

Volunteer opportunities are plentiful. Contributing your time and energy, working alongside others for a good cause, can effectively help you in fighting loneliness. Volunteer activities are shown to ease stress, reduce feelings of depression, can help you make friends and connect with others, and overall make you a happier person. A sense of happiness, fulfillment, and connection to others is yet another way to stop feeling lonely.

Additionally, working with others who have less can help you feel a deeper sense of gratitude for what you have in your own life.

10. Spend time with your family

Working to deepen the relationships with your family may also help you to stop feeling so lonely. Even if you don’t have a great history with a family member, you can still try to repair relationships by starting with an invitation. For example, you could ask a

member that you haven’t seen in a while to go out to lunch or meet you for coffee.

When trying to rebuild or deepen your relationships with family members, you can use some of the same strategies you would use to gain new friends. Take the initiative to ask the person out, be yourself, and be a good listener.

Conclusion

We’ve all been there—you are not alone. 

If you are a human in this world, chances are you have felt left out from time to time. Maybe you did not land an invite to a party of the year.  Or, maybe your pals forgot to invite you to lunch. Or, maybe you just have yet to find the people who make you tick. Feeling lonely because you are isolated from time to time is not uncommon. For some people, though, the feeling of loneliness persists without respite. When the feeling of loneliness continues for days, weeks, or even months, it can be seriously damaging to your mental health.