Usually, loneliness comes from old memories or events, and not because you are completely abandoned and alone. You may be going through a hard time with the current situation, but that does not mean that things will always remain the same. The feelings of loneliness can completely engulf you sometimes and leave you feeling hopeless and helpless about the future. Remind yourself every chance you get that loneliness is an emotion, and like all emotions come and go, so does loneliness. There is more to your future than this current feeling, and it will pass along when other events start taking place.
2. Accept That You Are Feeling Lonely
When we are faced with a negative emotion, our first instinct is to run away from it. We numb ourselves to the experience of the negativity, either by ignoring it, denying it or picking up an activity that distracts us, like indulging in drugs or eating incessantly. By doing this, we don’t accept what is right in front of us, but it always finds a way to come back and let us know it exists (usually in worse ways). Accepting that we feel lonely will make us feel worse at the point of time, but once it is expressed, it will find a way to dissipate. You can write how you’re feeling down, or draw and paint something, or create a song, or do anything that you feel will help you express the emotion. Once we understand how we are feeling, our next step will be to tackle it.
3. Notice And Deal With The Accompanying Negative Thoughts
Loneliness has far reaching consequences sometimes, such as affecting our self-esteem or leading us into depression. Some thoughts that come out during this time might keep the negative loop going and keep you stuck in the negativity. You might feel like you’re lonely because people don’t like you, or people don’t value your company, or that people just don’t care for you, or there is no one in the world that can understand you; all thoughts that stop you from taking steps to deal with your loneliness and push you further into it. As soon as these thought turn up, it is important for you to recognise them and deal with them. Remind yourself of the people that are already in your life and care for you, and remind yourself that you are still of value to your family and friends. Once you recognise the negative thought loop, it will become easier for you to deal with the negativity.
4. Reach Out To People Around You
The first step in getting out of isolation is to reach out to anyone you can. You could call an old friend to catch up, meet someone you know in your locality, or you can call a family member that you can talk to. You could also reach out to support groups, where you will be able to meet a lot of people who are going through similar struggles. Building a community or a support system will lessens the load you are carrying, and your positive influence in other people’s lives will also play a role in changing your negative thought processes.
5. Find Ways To Accommodate Being Alone
There is a big difference between being alone and being lonely; and being alone is not a bad thing. Solitary activities like reading a book, listening to music, exercising and taking a bath can not only soothe you, but make you more comfortable with the prospect of being alone. Being alone can also help you to reflect on your thoughts, and help you to gain new perspectives about the situation you are dealing with.
6. Get Involved With Volunteering And Other Activities
Reaching out to talk to people and share your thoughts is one one, but getting out there to do something you really like is another thing. Think back to the activities you enjoy the most: sports, cooking, trekking, pottery, photography (it can be anything really). With the internet at the tips of our fingers, we can find a lot of people who like the same thing meeting up to take part in these activities. Sign up for classes or find meetup groups around your area and get back to your passion. You can also volunteer at local groups and NGOs to do your part for the world. If you enjoy doing the activity, you won’t want to miss out on it and you’ll definitely invest more time in making connections and building friendships.
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