Overview
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Loneliness is not about living alone or being a private person; some people embrace being alone. Loneliness is a feeling of being alone even when in a crowd, a feeling of being isolated from society and feeling unwanted by one’s own family. Having a mental problem such as depression and anxiety increases the chances of being alone.
Some are content with just a few people in their life and some need a large group (family, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances), but almost everyone needs someone in life. It is not that we need someone to survive in this world, but it always feels good to have someone in life who cares for us and be with us as support in tough times.
Loneliness is a serious concern in today’s world. It can lead to alcohol addiction and increase stress levels and blood pressure, thereby leading to various serious health problems. This problem is seen in all age groups, but older people are more likely to experience this condition.
Are you experiencing the same problem?
Do you feel you don’t have anyone to talk to?
Do you often tend to withdraw yourself from your family, social gatherings and other crowded places?
If you are wondering how do we fight loneliness, don’t worry!
It isn’t really hard to get rid of loneliness. All you have to do is gear up and deal with the condition with strong willpower. Follow below the best ways to get rid of loneliness:
Best Ways to Get Rid of Loneliness
- Understand the reason
You will need to understand your feelings about preferring to be alone and the reason behind it. Don’t you have friends to hang out with or are you not happy with your current group of friends? If you don’t have friends, it is time to make new friends. If you have some friends and you are not happy with them, try to understand why. Is it because they don’t share a meaningful connection with you or is it because you have too many friends and you don’t know who is true to you? Answer every question that crosses your mind. If you feel certain people are making you feel low when you are around them, avoid them! If you feel you need to reach out people and make new friends to expand your network, try it! If any incident is bothering you, share it with a person close to you and seek his/her support.
- Spend more time with people in your life
To get rid of loneliness you need to make an effort to maintain relationships. Try calling people you already know and reach out to them to spend some quality time. Make sure the people you meet are someone who you know very well so that you can enjoy their company.
- Stay healthy
Health is an important factor to beat loneliness. An unhealthy lifestyle can result in various health issues, including depression and anxiety. It is essential that you stay healthy to be mentally strong and develop positive attitudes. Often, lack of sleep, exercise and healthy food causes stress and pulls you emotionally down. Try to get a minimum of 8 hours of sleep and do at least 30 minutes of physical workout. Change your diet plan. Cut down to eat junk and add fruits, vegetables and other nutrient-rich food to your diet chart.
- Keep yourself occupied
Try to keep yourself occupied with some activities so that you won’t be distracted by your present feelings and worries. You can join some classes to learn a new language, develop some computer skills, learn a new instrument, start a degree or finish a pending degree, write your own book, and so on. Whatever you decide to do, try to focus on it and work hard without any distraction.
- Develop interaction skills
Whether someone close or just an acquaintance, try to hang out with them very often. Interact more and with people around you. You can invite them to your house for dinner. Instead of ordering food outside, why don’t you try cooking with the help of your friends? It will help you connect more with your friends. Whenever you get some free time, go to a café along with your friend (if at home) or colleague (at work) and grab a coffee. Being around with people and doing such things won’t make you feel lonely
- Avoid alcohol and smoking
Alcohol, drugs, tobacco – these are all addictive substances that can have a major impact on you. Drinking or smoking in order to relieve your stress is a bad idea. It only aggravates your feeling of loneliness.
Ways to Killing Loneliness and Stay Connected
- Explore a hobby
Keep exploring new hobbies and keep yourself occupied. You can pick some books and start reading. Reading is such an addiction that you tend to lose yourself reading good stories. Also, try to identify a strong character in the stories you read and motivate yourself. Finding some albums in that have been lost in your attic for long can help you reminisce the good old days with family and friends. In fact, you can get a camera now and start clicking beautiful pictures around. Video games, painting, gardening, and good music will also keep you occupied. Try to meet people with similar tastes and connect with them.
- Exercise
Healthy body, healthy mind! You can join a gym or yoga centres to take care of your body. Meditation helps you understand your feelings of loneliness more. It eases loneliness and depression. Moreover, you can meet different people at these centres with whom you can sit around and chat for some time.
- Adopt a pet
Pets are the best companions for humans. The playfulness of pets will make you forget your troubles and keep you happy. So, if you are struggling from loneliness and need a companion, get a pet; a dog or a cat. They have been great companions for humans over centuries. They not only are loyal towards you nurturing them, but also remain affectionate all through their lifespan. You even get busy in handling certain day to day tasks and pet care.
- Travel
Plan a holiday and travel. Here you have to understand one point, you are trying to overcome loneliness which can be done by getting out of the place that is holding you back. Exposure to sunlight and the fresh breeze makes you feel better. Try contacting a friend or family member who lives somewhere far and pay a visit. This way you can strengthen the bonding with that person and also go around to see the place.
Though social media help you stay connected with people, do not confine yourself to those networking sites. Go out and explore the world.
- Do some social activities
Visit some local nursing homes, orphanages, child care centres, or old-age home care centres to do your part. Volunteering to help not only makes you busy but also helps you find solace in helping the needy.
Apart from the charitable services, look for some other social activities such as book clubs, art exhibitions, concerts, and political campaigns if that interests you. Join some online communities where you can share your thoughts and ideas.
Conclusion
The feeling of wanting to be alone is a normal part of life. It’s just a state of mind. You have to make use of your loneliness to do something big and worthy. Utilize the time you got for your own self. Do not use loneliness as an excuse to run away from people and society. Rather, build up the courage to face the world.
