Loneliness is a feeling. You can feel very lonely even while
being with other people. On the flip side, you can feel great and not feel
lonely even when you are alone. Thus, feeling lonely is a state of mind.
When you feel lonely, ask yourself why you are feeling this
way. A lot of the time when a person feels lonely, it is because they have
negative feelings about themselves or they are upset about something.
Further, it is easy to have feelings such as loneliness when we compare ourselves to other people and the lives that we believe they
may have.
Try not to compare your life to someone else’s life.
Everyone has challenges in life. Some are just not as visible as others.
When you feel lonely, it can often lead to feeling
sad and depressed. When this happens, people often react by withdrawing even
more from others and then they feel sorry for themselves.
So, it is
important to ascertain why you feel lonely first of all. This can hep you to understand your feelings
better.
A good way to do this is to journal.
A good way to do this is to journal.
Once you acknowledge why and what triggered your
feelings of loneliness, tell yourself that you can change this feeling!
First of all, change your thought process. Tell yourself that you will be okay and that there are ways to feel better.
First of all, change your thought process. Tell yourself that you will be okay and that there are ways to feel better.
Here are some suggestions to combat feeling lonely:
Positive self-talk
Staying active
Staying active
Volunteering
Join a class – (church, educational, hobbies, mental health, dance)
Join a group of some type (meet ups, support groups,
self-help)
Get a pet
Build existing relationships in your life
List your passions and interests and start pursuing them
Talk to someone when you are feeling sad and lonely
Count your blessings
Being socially isolated is not healthy emotionally or
physically. Be creative and put yourself out in the world. Even if you are not
a friendly person and no matter your age, you can still find different
ways to meet new people and to be more sociable!
GET UP, DRESS UP, SHOW UP, and smile at someone!!
Work on improving your self-esteem and self-worth. Start
with working on self-care. When you feel better about yourself then you will
feel friendlier which will draw others to you.
Also, remember that emotional pain is only temporary. Take a deep breath, get some sunshine, and make the decision to make a change. If you need help, please talk to someone!
Also, remember that emotional pain is only temporary. Take a deep breath, get some sunshine, and make the decision to make a change. If you need help, please talk to someone!
Engage in activities that will promote your positive self-image and tell yourself that you can and will conquer these sad feelings!
It all starts with you and your mind set. Change your attitude and then your actions.
If
you know the Lord, you can also go to Him. Give Him your pain. He will give you peace and comfort. If you do not know the Lord, I want to encourage you to talk to
someone who can help you to invite Him into your heart and life.
Diane Gammon M.S.
Clinical Mental Health Counselor
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