Research says 2/3rd of adults end up feeling sad and alone, and 66% amidst the crowd have increased anxiety. Well, at least for you, if you are here online trying to combat feeling sad and lonely, you surely aren’t alone.
Take a look at the feeling alone concept and tips to follow when you feel alone and isolated. It will truly help combat loneliness.
It is the state of solitude. Now, not all people who have been alone would experience loneliness. There are some who are quite happy within their own company. So, in a way, loneliness can be simply defined as the perceived state of being alone or alone.
During the lockdown of 2020, around 11 million households got themselves a new pet in the United States. It can be assumed as the response to feeling alone, but there are varied mental health benefits associated with having a pet too.
• Interaction with animals helps reduce cortisol levels.
• Having pets can reduce social isolation.
• Pets help improve moods, prevent feeling sad and lonely and reduce blood pressure.
• Studies have shown people who have pets, they experience the intense connection as well as companionship.
Loneliness often gets associated with the loss of meaning. Now, volunteering can help one feel a lot more useful and even increase the self-worth. Participating in the volunteering work for around 2 hrs every week can help lift up the mood and leave one feeling much more connected.
Volunteering can be related to either serving at the soup kitchen or doing the temperature checks in the public spaces, etc. Either way, there are endless opportunities.
A way to beat the feeling of feeling sad and alone is by trying to ensure the hobbies. It can be either you have known something since always, or you get to learn something that’s completely new.
You can consider a lot of crafting hobbies like knitting, quilting, baking, photography, scrapbooking, pottery, etc. Believe it, there’s a lot out there. You just need to get the right idea.
It might be difficult, but it is quite important to build the lasting relationships. It can either be with family or friends or even neighbours. Just take out the time to know the name of the people and get to know their stories. Staying connected can truly help a lot.
When we get to know people, we get to realize that we all are in the same boat. The brief social interactions can truly be enriching experiences in our lives and the lives of the people we meet.
When you feel alone and isolated or are having social anxiety, try alternative therapies like talk therapy, light therapy, music therapy, dance therapy, etc. They all come in with the positive effects on the mind and also increase our endorphins.
Instead of having the focus on what one doesn’t have, it is fruitful to make a gratitude list of all the things which one does possess. There are numerous studies which show that gratitude can have a positive effect on the brain and make a person happier.
In case you are still feeling that you are drowning in your loneliness, it is time to consider getting some help. Either talk to a counsellor or a doctor who will be able to identify any kind of other underlying medical conditions. The clinical psychologist or the counsellor, they are like a good sounding board for voicing out what you are actually feeling.
It is quite important to be able to identify when one is depressed. If one has constant mood swings, is feeling sad, or cries quite often, has gained or even lost weight or has trouble sleeping, is restless, etc., then it is better to see a doctor.
The first step towards moving forward is to get real about what one is going through. Some people deny that they are lonely and even assume it to be anxiety or depression. But why? It is because they have a fear of being alone and lonely and also the stigma that surrounds loneliness.
They do not admit it as they associate their experience with the social isolation and refuse to come to terms with their loneliness, and this is where they refuse to do something about it. So, do not do that ever.
Why am I so alone? Well, you have to understand that it is not just you but do not lean onto loneliness just because others deal with it too. Instead, take the opportunity to remember that you, too, have the power to get out of the situation and do better, instead of living in fear of being alone and lonely.
Due to all the self-critical and shameful feelings which might accompany with loneliness, the common reaction is just to kid oneself into thinking that you might not need anyone and that things are great just the way they are. Such responses do harm to physical and mental health. Note that people need people, and we all deserve to be loved. So, instead of doing it, believe and question yourself, why am I so alone? Believe it, there is nothing wrong with asking it.
From waking up to exercising, working, and eating, we do it all. However, what if our life needs a little more of structure? People say that fear of isolation and loneliness, they last forever, and it becomes difficult to escape that dark cloud that hangs over the head. However, it isn’t true. It might be difficult to remind oneself that loneliness is temporary, and this is why following a strict schedule might help.
If you have better plans and a great purpose, it becomes difficult to allow the question of why am I so alone to get into your head. So, make sure you set the alarm for that early-morning meditation, call your sister, apply the face mask in the evening, and do it all. Also, if you pre-plan them, you will have a sense of control, and with a structured routine being followed, one day at a time, it all will start to feel much more natural.
Instead of carrying alone the feeling of fear and the fear of isolation, you can make this a choice and do something meaningful out of your time.
You can start to express your feeling through writing that short story, painting, or even doing the puzzle, following a dance routine, or recoding the cover of a song that you are unable to get out of your head. Just do your best, and the rest of it will fall in line. Do not forget loneliness is just temporary.
Believe that you are not alone. The tips discussed above can guide you and help you when you are feeling alone. However, it is not necessary that if one way works for one person, it might work for others too. So, it is on us to determine what actually makes us happy. It can be anything, even cycling.
Apart from the above, you can even connect with FeelHeard, a purely listening service that offers emotional support to anyone who’s feeling sad and lonely. With just one call, our professionals will be right there building better relationships and giving you a safe space to speak, a sense of trust and the sense of someone knowing you.
Services at Feel-Heard can be booked online. So, why delay?
