Feelings of loneliness may seem overwhelming, but there are all kinds of ways to remove loneliness problem from life, depending on your age and the situation you are in. This article will provide the best 7 surprising ways to overcome loneliness today.
Introduction:
There is a difference between being alone and feeling lonely. Some people can be perfectly content to spend long periods of time on their own, while others may feel themselves lonely even when in the company of others.
No one can quarrel with the truth that we are all ultimately alone and loneliness is the emotional response to this fact. But there are degrees of loneliness. Simple loneliness, caused by longing for some company, will disappear once other people are around, but someone whose loneliness is built upon feelings of isolation, of being unloved or misunderstood, will still feel the same whether with other people or not.
Causes of Loneliness:
Some circumstances can make most people feel lonely and friendless. Moving to another town, where you do not know a soul, changing jobs or schools, or going away to college. The atmosphere of a big city, full of streets where neighbors do not know each other’s name, can also cause many people to feel lonely. This feeling, which is not deep-rooted, has the best chance of cure. It may just be a question of time before new friends are found, but sometimes an effort must be made to join clubs or local associations where other like-minded people are also to be found.
There are others, whose loneliness could easily be banished by making friends, who find this very difficult. Very shy people often long to make normal, relaxed contact with others, but isolate themselves because they do not know how to do this. Disable people, too, might suffer from loneliness, simply through the attitude of other people.
For some kinds of loneliness, the company of other people is not the solution. Bereavement and divorce are prime causes of this. So is the emptiness left when children leave home. Clearly, another individual just will not do, when it is a loved one who is being missed and the ache of this particular loneliness is only diminished by time.
Some who has been bereaved often finds that friends draw away, either because of misguided feelings of not wanting to intrude on grief, or else through the embarrassment of being at a loss for words. People left on their own through divorce sometimes find that their friends take sides, so that they have less company than before. Newly-singled women, whether through bereavement, divorce or break-up of a long affair often find that invitations fall off, either because other women feel threatened by them or simply because they can not find a man to ‘make up the numbers’.
Certainly, those who have been involved with bringing up a family will have allowed friendship to take a minor place in their lives, with the result that if circumstances change, the children grow up, or a partner leaves or dies, time hangs heavy, friends seem busy or remote and loneliness results.
Chronic loneliness can become a severe emotional problem, and people who suffer from this will sometimes need psychological help. Some people feel completely unloved, even in marriage – and there is nothing worse than the feeling of loneliness when lying close beside another person in bed.
People who feel unloved will sometimes, perversely, make themselves unlovable, particularly children and this makes their problems worse. Another aspect of loneliness, which points to an emotional problem, is shown by the person who feels out of step with the rest of the world. If he feels misunderstood and ‘different’, then his loneliness will not be affected, even if he is surrounded by other people. All who have been suffering from this type of loneliness must known these 7 surprising ways to overcome loneliness today.
You May Like To Read more: 7 Ways To Improve Your Memory
Who suffers from loneliness:
No age group is immune from feelings of loneliness, indeed most people will admit to have suffered from it at sometime in their lives. However, there is a much higher incidents among the elderly. All the main factors that cause loneliness will apply particularly to them. Their families will have left home, they will have experienced bereavement and have lost friends. Many will not be very mobile and above all, with retirement, they will have too much time on their hands, while everyone around them seems busy, with little time or inclination to make friends or chat.
It is not always recognized that babies and children can also suffer from loneliness. A baby will often make his anxiety felt by crying and fretting in his crib. An inexperienced mother may try feeling him, bringing up his wind and changing his diaper, only to find that the complaining goes on again the moment he is put back in his crib. The truth is, he is feeling lonely and needs company. And to develop and progress, a baby must have human company and stimulation.
Some children may also be ‘loners’, both in and out of school, and parents and teachers may have to put their heads together to find the best solution to this problem. A quiet, withdrawn child may find the playground rough-and-tumble unbearable, but feel happier if introduced to a game of quiet concentration, such as chess, that requires another’s company. Another lonely child might enjoy sharing in the care of a pet or a farm animal.
Gifted children, though rare, may also feel set apart if their intelligence is more mature and highly-developed than their contemporaries. If possible, they should be encouraged to join groups of others with similar interests, regardless of age.
Signs and Symptoms of Loneliness:
There are no hard and fast symptoms of loneliness, but it is almost always accompanied by depression – although some people may put on a brave face on their situation. More often it is a question of looking at the circumstances and drawing the obvious conclusion. An old person who rarely goes out and hardly ever has visitors is more than likely to be lonely. Some who has suffered a major upheaval in life is probably feeling in need of friends. A child who is withdrawn and has no obvious companions may also be lonely. A garrulous character of any age, who always wants to talk in the street and is hard to escape from, may be a nuisance but often chatters in an unconscious effort to ward off loneliness.
7 surprising ways to overcome loneliness today:
Though it is a challenging task to over the loneliness, but it is possible to overcome loneliness today assessing the causes and symptoms of the individual. Here are the 7 surprising ways to overcome loneliness today.
- Engage in social activities: Outside involvements are essential to combat loneliness. For example, lonely young mothers should try and meet others in similar circumstances, perhaps through a mother-and-bay club, started by an advertisement in the local newspaper. Similarly, with lonely old people, the social services may be able to put people in touch with each other, or suggest places where they could meet.
- Visit marriage counsellor: Those who feel lonely within a relationship might be advised to take their problems to a marriage guidance counsellor. It is sometimes a lack of communication that causes a feeling of loneliness and an experienced counsellor might be able to remedy this.
- Helping others: Concentrating on others is one way that some people find to resolve their own loneliness. Certainly, keeping busy in one way or another is essential, for it takes one’s mind off the problem and also provides something to talk about in a social situation. Car drivers are always welcomed as helpers for services such as meals on wheels or providing transport for the aged or the disabled – this can ward off personal loneliness.
- Maintain relationships: Once someone has been recognized as suffering from loneliness, they are well on the way to recovery. Regular visiting to your friends, family and acquaintances and being in touch with one another in virtual meetups and outings is of enormous benefit. Involving others is also a good idea, so that the lonely person does not become wholly reliant on a particular companion. An outsider can also sometimes see possibilities that a lonely individual might overlook, and might be able to suggest activities or ideas that go some of the way towards helping them.
- Utilize social media carefully: Social media is one of the most popular medias today to stay in connected with your friends, families and even school-mates. But it is important to involve yourself in positive and meaningful way in social networking sites and limit excessive scrolling.
- Spend time with pets: Pets are very useful to overcome loneliness in life. Pets are very beneficial to the the master. Spending time with pets can be very interesting and entertaining. Spending time with your pets involve you in healthy and beneficial hobby.
- Seek professional help: Simple cases of loneliness can be eliminated very easily following the tips mentioned above. But if you feel that your feelings of loneliness persist for a long span of time and it is affecting your physical and mental health, then never hesitate to reach out to a mental health professional. They can provide you the necessary guidance and support to your specific needs.
Once someone has been recognized as suffering from loneliness, they are well on the way to recovery. Regular visiting and being in touch with one another is of enormous benefit. Involving others is also a good idea, so that the lonely person does not become wholly reliant on a particular companion. An outsider can also sometimes see possibilities that a lonely individual might overlook, and might be able to suggest activities or ideas that go some of the way towards helping them.
FAQs:
Q. I am a lonely teenager and am very shy. I never know what to say to other people and never seem to make friends. What should I do?
Ans: First of all, you must realize that your problem is far more common than you suspect. It does not matter what you say: any comment, made with a smile, shows that you are friendly and someone else who is less shy will probably do most of the talking. Just try to forget about yourself and listen to what is being said – any little remark on your part will keep the conversation going.
Q. I live next door to a blind woman who I’m sure is rather lonely. Should I just tell her to let me know if ever she needs help?
Ans: Never let the fear of appearing interfering stop you making contact with someone ho may be in need. More often than not, people are pleased when others offer friendship. But it is better to be specific and say something like: I am going to the shops, is there anything I can get for you? As you get to know her better, you will be able to anticipate the kind of help she needs.
Q. I am an old person and pensioner whose children have all oved far away. I often feel lonely and people are always telling me to join senior citizen’s clubs. But frankly, I don’t feel old myself. Is there anything else I could do?
Ans: Get in touch with your local hospital. Some children’s wards welcome adopted ‘grannies’, helping to amuse the children in their care. But don’t write off the senior citizen’s clubs. You might well find others like yourself, who do not feel old either.
Q. I am stuck at home with my young baby in a new town and feel desperate with loneliness. What can I do?
Ans: Talk to your social worker for a start. She might know of a young mothers’ group where you can meet others like yourself – or help you to start one.
You May Like To Read More:
4 thoughts on “From Loneliness to Connection: 7 Surprising Ways to Overcome Loneliness Today”