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Loneliness has many different causes and it can affect people of all ages. It's often linked with things that could prevent you spending time with other people, such as: living or working alone; retirement; illness or disability; bereavement (losing someone or something) moving to a new area, job, school or university; social anxiety (social ...
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- Overview
- Reframe it
- Practice gratitude
- Fill your house with sound
- Call a friend
- Make the most of your interactions
- Get outside
- Talk about your feelings
- Draw out your creative side
- Spend time with animals
Loneliness is a common feeling, but there are steps you can take to help feel more connected. Listening to music, calling a friend, taking a walk outside, and other activities may reduce your sense of isolation.
Loneliness is going around, and it’s having a pretty big impact.
Even before psychological distress and loneliness increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, a January 2020 survey reported that over three in five Americans felt lonely.
Prolonged loneliness can drain you emotionally, making life seem bleak and pointless. It can also lead to physical symptoms, including aches and pains, sleep problems, and a weakened immune response.
Note that loneliness isn’t the same thing as social isolation. You can be alone without feeling lonely. You can also feel lonely even when you’re around other people. Loneliness happens when you feel distressed when you’re alone, while social isolation is the lack of regular interactions with other people.
When it feels impossible to escape feelings of loneliness, these 13 tips can help you navigate them and keep them from wearing you down.
Casting a different light on what it means to be alone may make it easier to navigate feelings of loneliness.
Loneliness happens when your needs for social interaction and human connection go unmet. Different people have different interaction needs, so this doesn’t happen at the same point for everyone. For example:
•If you spend most nights with friends and loved ones, you might feel lonely with just one interaction per week.
•If you prefer being on your own, you might feel perfectly satisfied by seeing one friend each week.
•You might feel lonely upon returning to an empty house, even when you have plenty of strong friendships.
•If you struggle to connect with a live-in partner, you might feel lonely even if you’re often together.
It may feel difficult to notice positive things in your life when you feel lonely, but taking a few minutes to practice gratitude each day may help you feel better.
Practicing gratitude can be as simple as thinking of something small you enjoyed recently, like talking to a friend or eating a tasty meal. You can also try to:
•write down a few things you’re grateful for
•remember a few positive moments from your day
•if you feel grateful to someone, tell them about it
•relive a happy experience from the past in your mind
Music and other sounds aren’t specifically proven to reduce loneliness, but they may still help push it back.
Sound may help fill the space in your environment and thoughts, which can make it feel less overwhelming. For example:
•Music may boost your mood, according to research, while audiobooks might provide distraction and a temporary escape.
•Podcasts and talk radio inform and entertain, and their conversational atmosphere may also help create a sense of connection.
•A favorite TV show or movie can help break the silence in a comforting way, even if you don’t sit down and watch it all the way through.
•Opening a window to hear birds and passersby may help you feel more connected to the wider world.
Even if you don’t see all your friends or family regularly, you can still maintain your closeness. Research from 2021 suggests that virtual interactions, especially when you’re connecting to a larger number of people, may help reduce loneliness and benefit mental health if you can’t meet others in person.
Sometimes a quick text can seem like the easiest way to connect, but don’t underestimate the power of speaking to another person. A 2021 study found that even a regular 10-minute phone call may help ease loneliness.
Simply spending time around others won’t always relieve loneliness. A 2021 study found that being in overcrowded areas actually increased feelings of loneliness.
The quality of your interactions often matters more than the number. That’s why you might feel lonely in a large group of casual acquaintances but fulfilled by a quiet evening with your closest friend.
How you spend time with others can make a big difference, too. Sometimes, you might just need some company and feel fine watching a movie with a friend or sharing space while working or browsing social media.
When you feel the need to connect on a deeper level, try to find ways to make your interactions more meaningful:
•Share emotions and personal experiences.
•Ask questions, and really listen to what your loved ones have to say.
A change of environment can distract you and help dull the ache of loneliness. Getting out of the house can put you in the path of others and remind you that you aren’t alone in the world.
Time in nature can also help ease emotional distress and boost your overall wellness.
A few ideas to try:
•Visit your favorite park. Try to identify different birds — both birds and birdsong can have a positive impact on well-being, according to recent research.
•Take a walk around your neighborhood. Explore streets you’ve never visited and greet neighbors when your paths cross.
•Plan a scavenger hunt with friends.
Emotions tend to gather under the surface and intensify when they go unacknowledged. Expressing your feelings out loud, however, may diminish their power to cause distress.
Telling a loved one you feel lonely can make it easier to get important emotional support that helps loosen the grip of loneliness.
Talking about difficult emotions can also help empower your loved ones to share any feelings they might be struggling with, making it possible to explore coping strategies together.
Sharing painful or unwanted emotions with others can feel difficult, especially if you aren’t used to talking about your feelings. If you’re not feeling up to it, journaling offers another way to express and sort through feelings privately that, research shows, can promote well-being.
Creative pursuits like art, music, and writing can help improve mental health. If these activities bring you joy and help you feel more connected, they may also help reduce feelings of loneliness.
Creation can also leave you with a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction, emotions that might challenge a prevailing mood of loneliness and sadness.
Animals may not be able to talk (unless, of course, you have a vocal bird), but they provide companionship all the same. The presence of another living creature can comfort you, and their antics can help lift your spirits and relieve stress, as thousands of pet videos on the internet can confirm.
Research also suggests pet ownership can improve both mental and physical wellness. As another bonus, having a dog gives you a reason to head outside on a regular basis.
Jun 15, 2020 · 3. Find things to look forward to. Book in social activities as far in advance as you can. While it may be tricky due to the current uncertainty around the coronavirus, try to arrange some things to look forward to; simple things you can enjoy again with friends. 4. Take up a new hobby.
- Lisa Joyner
- Lisa.Walden@hearst.co.uk
emotional loneliness – a lack of emotional attachment to someone like a close friend or partner. social loneliness – a lack of friends to go out with, or who share our hobbies or interests. existential loneliness – a sense of being in a room of people you know and still feeling alone.
This page has some tips and suggestions for managing feelings of loneliness: Learn more about being comfortable in your own company. Try and open up to people you know. Take it slow. Make new connections. Try not to compare yourself to others. Look after yourself. Try talking therapies. Some people find these ideas useful.
Reflecting and accepting your emotions. Connect to you. Journal, doodle, voice-memo and express yourself. You can get curious about guilt and shame: try and have a conversation with them. Tell guilt and shame that you are not to blame for your feelings of loneliness. Remind yourself that it is not your fault.
People also ask
Can people who live alone feel less lonely?
Is Loneliness the same as being alone?
Is Loneliness the same as social isolation?
Do you have to be on your own to feel lonely?
What does loneliness feel like?
How does loneliness affect older people?
Some people describe loneliness as the feeling we have when our need for social contact and relationships isn’t met. But loneliness isn’t the same as being alone. You may feel content without much contact with other people. But others may find this a lonely experience. Some people may only feel lonely at certain times.
