8 Things You Can Do When Loneliness Strikes
Loneliness can hit us at any time. Even those with a lot of people in their lives can feel lonely. It’s possible to feel lonely in a crowded room. Loneliness isn’t about the number of people in your vicinity. It’s about feeling isolated and the lack of meaningful connections.
Some people feel lonely more easily than others, but everyone is capable of experiencing loneliness.
Rest assured that you’re not alone in feeling lonely, and there are solutions you can try.
Try these actions when you feel lonely:
Make a list of the connections you currently have. You might not currently have access to your normal social circle, but there are other people in your life. There’s a whole list of people that you could talk to if you really wanted it.
Reach out to a few people. At the very least, just remind yourself that you have other options.
Find a good way to spend the time. Most people complain that they don’t have enough time. Well, now you have some of that free time that others crave. How are you going to use it?
Rather than sitting around and ruminating on how lonely you are, try doing something else, instead. Work on a hobby or put on a funny movie.
Relive some positive memories. Instead of thinking about how unhappy you are, dig up some positive memories and think about those for a while. Here are a few ideas:
Your favorite vacation
The best date you ever had
The most exciting day you ever had
Your child walking for the first time
Your high school friends
Your first kiss
Your best day at the beach
Remember that you’re not the only one. Loneliness is a common experience. Some studies have found that over 60% of adults report feeling lonely. More than half of the people you see or know are feeling the same thing you are. That’s over 4.5 billion lonely people! You’re not alone.
Volunteer. Volunteering is a great way to take your attention off yourself and put it on someone else. It’s quite a relief to think about someone else. You might meet a new friend in the process.
Talk to your pet. Pets are a great way to prevent loneliness. Don’t have a pet? Get one. Ask the neighbor if you can play fetch with his dog or take it for a walk. You won’t be denied.
Every dog wants to go for a walk, and nearly every dog has an owner that would rather not go for a walk!
Call someone. Pick up the phone. You can use it for things other than texting, checking the weather, and surfing the internet. Call someone and have a conversation.
Be sociable. The world is full of people. All you have to do is look out your window or go to the store. Ask someone to meet you for coffee. Say hello to a stranger. Throw a party. Invite people over to play cards. Go sit in a bar and chat with others.
There might be nearly 8 million people in the world, but there are still a lot of lonely people. If you happen to be one of them, don’t despair. You can turn the situation around if you’re willing to do a little work.
With so many lonely people out there, it’s not that difficult to make a meaningful connection. All you have to do is reach out to a few people. Other people are craving meaningful connections, too, and they’ll be glad that you reached out to them.
Still struggling with loneliness? Explore walk and talk therapy services.