How to Cope with Loneliness
Loneliness has been a hot topic over the last couple of years with the pandemic and lockdowns and has been the theme for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week, but you don’t need to be alone to feel lonely.
Loneliness when surrounded by others
Many people suffer from loneliness despite being in relationships, living with other people, or surrounded by people at work.
Loneliness can be difficult to deal with, especially when you’re not actually alone.
You may feel like you’re the only one who is feeling that way, and that can make you feel isolated and misunderstood, or you feel guilty for feeling lonely when you’re surrounded by others.
If you’re feeling lonely in your relationship, friendships, or even within your family, know that you are not alone in feeling that way. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the ways that you can connect with others again to combat the feelings of loneliness.
The response to the pandemic has forced people to stay isolated from one another, which has led to increased feelings of loneliness worldwide.
Loneliness is a normal emotion
Remember that loneliness is a normal emotion, and it’s okay to feel it from time to time, but if you’re struggling to cope with loneliness it’s time to take action.
Connecting with your partner, friends, or family on a deeper level is a sure-fire way to help the feelings of loneliness to subside. This may mean taking the time to have conversations about things that are important to you, or doing activities together that you enjoy.
How to feel less lonely
Here are some tips on how to get out of a loneliness slump:
- Talk to others about how you’re feeling. It’s important to communicate openly and honestly with each other about your needs, be it at home or work.
- Stay connected with other people in your life. Whether it is friends, family, work colleagues or others in your community, maintaining social connections is important for your mental health.
- Take time to say hello to people in shops or when out and about. Make it a mission to smile at people close enough to see you, and say hello to those you pass directly. You’ll both feel more connected and less lonely.
- Drop old friends an occasional message to let them know you are thinking of them. It’s easy for us all to get busy, so take the time to make an effort.
- Make sure you’re spending quality time together with loved ones. Even if you can’t go out and do things like you used to, there are still ways to connect with each other and have fun. Card games, board games, cooking together or family tv shows, there are so many options to do things together, even at home.
- Do things that make you happy. Make sure to take care of yourself and do things that bring you joy. This can help you feel more connected to yourself and less overwhelmed by the outside world.
- Try new things with friends. This can help create a sense of adventure and excitement, which can be bonding and give you a whole new lease of life!
You don’t need to make big gestures or push yourself out of your comfort zone. Small steps will help you to feel more connected and less lonely.
And if you need some support to take those first steps in opening up about how you feel, counselling is a good option.
Counselling can help with loneliness
As a psychotherapeutic counsellor, I offer a holistic approach and a safe space for you to work through your feelings.
That allows you to figure things out in your own time with a focus on leaving old patterns of behaviours behind and restoring a sense of peace and balance in your life.
If that sounds like it would help you, do get in touch to discuss your options. I provide professional counselling in Suffolk and online.