From time to time any of us can feel lonely, and everyone’s experience of loneliness is different as it is personal to each individual. Loneliness can be a distressing feeling and can be experienced throughout life, not just in later life. Loneliness has many causes but examples of these could be due to the break-up of a relationship, a bereavement, starting college or university, or moving to a new area or country. For others, certain times of the year or days can increase the feeling of loneliness such as Bank Holidays, Sundays or Christmas.
Due to the current issues with Covid-19, you may be feeling lonely for the first time, so we have put some tips together for you to think about ways you can manage feelings of loneliness. Some ideas for looking after yourself may be harder to access now due to the restrictions that Covid-19 has enforced upon us, but we hope this helps you find a way forward that you can expand on once things get back to normal.
Connecting
Spend some time catching up with old friends. Friendships need to be nurtured and time invested in maintaining them is important. Contacting by social media or telephone when you have a moment can lift your mood, and they will be so pleased to hear from you. Make this a regular part of your routine and you will soon have a network of contacts that you can look forward to talking to.
Look after you, you are important
If you are feeling lonely it can have a negative impact on your mental health. Prioritise looking after yourself; thinking about your sleep, physical health, and eating and make some positive changes based on sound advice and support.
Don’t keep it to yourself
You may feel that loneliness is something you can’t talk to anyone about, but opening up about how you are feeling can be really helpful. You may find that others around you have felt the same at times and they can share things that helped them overcome their feelings. Learning positive coping techniques will help both now and if you were struggling again in the future. Your GP may be a good place to start to signpost you to helpful talking therapies and community supports in your area.
Try not to compare yourself to others
Social media can be very misleading when looking at what people are sharing about themselves and their lives – remember they are only sharing what they want to share, and the truth may be a very different story. Try not to compare yourself to others as it is easy to start to believe you are the only person who feels the way you do. Once people are alone or away from social media, they may feel very different to how they appear.
Plan ahead but take it slow
Planning for the following days with things you enjoy, a creative hobby, a book you want to order and read, a walk you want to do or a new skill you want to learn can make you feel good and bring hope and optimism. Don’t take on too much too quickly and begin to build a routine that may eventually increase your confidence enough to join an online group or class or start volunteering for something you care about. Small goals and achievements are less overwhelming and will increase your self-esteem gradually in a way that can be maintained long into the future.