How to Cope Without Friends

True friends are always a valuable asset in everyone’s life, but there are times when you look around and realize you don’t have any close friends. If this accurately describes your current situation, you can cope by learning to love yourself and be more comfortable being alone. This time may not be easy, but developing a positive outlook and seeking help from others can help. Finally, don’t hesitate to go out and meet new people. Remember, anyone can be your potential friend!

Table of Contents

Coping with loneliness

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Love yourself. Always love yourself, treat yourself with compassion, respect, and kindness. Does this seem difficult to you? Understand that you are not alone. Loneliness is something that almost everyone experiences at some point in their life. Feeling alone doesn’t mean you’re flawed or weird. In fact, this is the human expression! ^{[1] X Research Source}

Remember what loneliness really is: it’s just a feeling. Those feelings are not part of your personality.
Think about how you would treat someone you love when they are sad. Then, treat yourself the same way. Start by saying nice words to yourself as if you were talking to your loved one. ^{[2] X Research Source}
Give yourself an affectionate gesture, like a pat on the back or a hug. It sounds strange, but actually gestures like that have a calming effect. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

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Deal with feelings of loneliness. Loneliness is a very terrible experience. However, it is important that you understand and deal with it instead of trying to suppress it. Take a moment to feel the loneliness, noticing the feeling that your throat feels tight, your chest feels tight, and your stomach feels empty. You will have to find a way to overcome those feelings. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

If you feel like crying, just let the tears flow. There’s no shame in expressing your emotions – in fact, you may feel more relieved after you’ve had enough to cry.
Dealing with feelings does not mean indulging in them. Instead, take the time to get to know your feelings in order to work through them.

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Focus on long-term goals. When you’re feeling lonely, you’ll find that channeling your energy toward accomplishing long-term goals can help. Are you dreaming of going to college? Focus on getting good grades and participating in school activities. If you cherish the desire to travel to Europe, make a plan to save money.

Write down your goals and plans to achieve them. As such, your chances of achieving your goals will be higher. ^{[5] X Research Sources}
Big goals can be frustrating, so break them down into smaller daily tasks. If you want to write a novel, plan to write a few pages a day. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

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Make time for your favorite activities. It’s possible to have fun alone – as long as you take some time out of your day to pursue activities that interest you. Maybe you enjoy writing, going on a picnic, or painting. Doing things you love is one way to boost your mood and help you get to know yourself better.

Try going alone to a concert by an artist you admire. Going to the concert alone may seem a bit odd, but once you get there, you won’t be alone anymore. Anyway, everyone there has at least one thing in common – they all love the artist or band performing.

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Create a video on YouTube. If you’re feeling lonely, creating a YouTube video is a great way to reach out to the world to share your ideas and feelings with people from all walks of life. Whether it’s performing a hilarious monologue, singing a song, showing off your juggling skills, or demonstrating makeup techniques, you can connect with others anywhere in the world with a YouTube video. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

YouTube community full of potential friends! People can love your videos, they will leave lovely comments, from which the fire of friendship will be lit. Or you can also make friends by watching and commenting on other people’s videos.

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Create a blog site. Creating your own blog is a great way for you to share your passion with the world about a subject, discover more about your subject, and become part of a community of like-minded people. concerns. Find something you’re passionate about like soccer, yoga or fashion and start writing! ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Many bloggers gradually build a community of friends as others read their posts and connect with them.
You don’t have to tell others about your blog, or even post it publicly if you don’t want to.

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Join an online class. Distract yourself by putting all your energy into learning something new! You can find MIT’s OpenCourseWare program, or other universities’ free online courses. You may already have a degree or have chosen your field of study, but there are a wide variety of courses in everything – from microeconomics to Portuguese history – that can help you explore interesting subjects. flavors you find attractive. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Your life will also be busier and more meaningful when you take an online class. You may feel like every day goes by without friends, so this is an effective and positive way to fill that time.

Stay positive

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Indulge yourself. A good self-care regimen can improve your mood and help you relax. Set aside at least once a week to take care of and relax your body. ^{[10] X Research Source}

Take care of yourself with any activity that nourishes your mind, body, or soul, such as eating healthy foods, exercising, getting enough sleep, or being in nature.
You can also pamper yourself with activities like massages, facials, manicures or a new hairstyle.

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Practice active inner monologue. It’s easy to fall into self-pity about not having friends. You might think, “I’m useless” or “No one will ever love me”. Such thoughts are not only wrong but also counterproductive. Positive inner monologue means saying nice things to yourself and fighting negative thoughts with something positive. ^{[11] X Research Source}

If you suddenly feel a voice in your head saying, “no one likes me”, think of those family members to whom you are wonderful! You might be saying to yourself, “Wait, that’s not it. I have a whole family that loves me wholeheartedly.”
List qualities that can make you a good friend, such as being available when people need help. Reread the list every time you start to feel worthless.

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Build a positive outlook . It may be difficult at first, but there are always good things around. It is easy for people to see all the bad things in this world and often have a negative view. Be grateful for the things that happen in this moment, such as the sunshine or the health you have.

Write a gratitude journal. At the end of the day, write in your gratitude journal three good things that happened that day. After a while, you may find that things are not as bad as you think. ^{[12] X Trusted Source Harvard Medical Schop Go to Source}
Instead of just focusing on lonely thoughts, focus on wishing the best for others! Try smiling brightly at the people you meet on the street. Maybe you’ll get the smiles back. ^{[13] X Research Source}

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Write diary. Journaling is a great way to interact with your thoughts and understand their impact on how you feel and behave. Daily journaling will also give you the necessary moments to slow down and reflect on your life and values. Journaling is also a great place to set goals for the future and how to achieve them. ^{[14] X Research Source}

Every six months, try re-reading your diary to feel your growth and change.

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Exercise regularly. Staying physically active can give you a higher sense of well-being and help you feel better about yourself. Being healthy not only improves your mood and outlook, but also gives you a more balanced physique. Step outside, go for a walk, or simply enjoy the sun and fresh air for a few minutes a day. ^{[15] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

You can also sign up for a class at the gym or recreation center. That way you can both beautify your body and meet new friends!

Find support

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Go see a consultant. Sometimes, you need a little support to open up to new friendships. Negative thoughts and feelings can be signs of problems that require professional help. Also, if you have difficulty communicating, it could be a sign of social anxiety, shyness, or another problem. A counselor can help you work through problems so you become more confident in making friends. ^{[17] X Research Source}

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Spend time with family. Your friends may be living with you under one roof – they are your family members! Family can be great friends, even if you don’t think so. Spend good time with your parents and siblings or visit them whenever possible. Family is a huge resource and can help you get through tough times, even if you don’t think so. ^{[18] X Trusted Source Michigan State University Extension Go to Source}

Create a new and exciting family routine, such as spending a weekly game night or every Friday going to the cinema and eating pizza!

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Pet. While pets can’t replace people, they have a reputation for being loyal, great friends, stress relievers, and fun. You can go to an animal shelter to adopt a dog or cat. Plus, pets can help you make new friends! You’ll have an excuse to go outside and chat with other pet owners on the street or in the park. ^{[19] X Trusted Source Centers for Disease Contrp and Prevention Go to source}

find friend

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Chat with others . You know how many people around you have the potential to become your friends, but you probably don’t know how to reach and connect with them. Anyway, starting a conversation can be scary sometimes. But don’t doubt yourself – you will! Take a deep breath and ask a stranger about themselves or comment on the things around them. The golden key here is that people often like to talk about themselves and the things they care about, so look for clues that can help you get them talking. ^{[20] X Research Source}

For example, when you’re waiting in line at the grocery store and you see a boy standing in front of you playing a game on your phone, you might say, “You sound good at this game. What is the goal of this game?”
Try to ask open-ended questions that require the other person to give a detailed answer instead of just answering “yes” or “no.”
A good open-ended question might be, “Is surfing your favorite sport? So what do you like most about this subject?

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Put yourself in social situations. When you’re feeling lonely or unsure of your friends skills, your natural reaction may be to turn down invitations to parties or other activities. However, such events can be extremely valuable opportunities to make friends. You may be nervous, but muster up the courage to talk, go to a party at work, or celebrate your cousin’s baby. Your adventure will be rewarded with new friends! ^{[21] X Research Source}

You can love people more just by seeing them around you – this psychological phenomenon called the mere exposure effect. Look for places with a lot of people, like coffee shops, and go there often. Maybe you will become friends with the staff in the shop or the patrons of the restaurant!

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Be optimistic when interacting with others. People are often drawn to people who radiate positive energy. Teach yourself to always speak well of others. Bad gossip – even if it’s just fun sometimes – won’t make you good friends. And don’t forget to smile! You will naturally seem more friendly and likable. ^{[22] X Research Source}

People often like people who can make them feel good, so encourage them and give them sincere compliments.
You might say, “I admire you, you go to the charity house every week to volunteer. Can you tell me about that job?”

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Pursue hobbies with others. You can be more upbeat and have a more positive outlook around people. If you choose to play a sport or hobby, attend club events, sports festivals, and competitions. While at those events, you will meet people with similar interests as you. Starting a conversation is easy – you just have to start chatting about what everyone has in common!

Don’t be afraid to join a club you’ve never tried before, like an improv or bowling club. Chances are you meet many people who are just as inexperienced as you are, and maybe you can bond through trials and “silly” mistakes.
Take it easy if you feel hesitant. Just don’t let your fear of rejection stop you from connecting with great friends with similar interests. ^{[23] X Trusted Source HelpGuide Go to source}

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Find like-minded friends online. It may take some time to find friends in the area, but you can easily find many people online who share your thoughts, ideas, and passions. Online friendships are not as close as in real life and often do not completely relieve loneliness. Still, it’s a great way to feel connected and fill your time. ^{[24] X Research Source}

Just don’t let your online friends stop you from making friends in real life, and be careful when meeting or communicating with anyone you meet online.

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Do volunteering. Jobs that help your neighborhood like community service projects are a great way to meet people and give back to life. Helping those less fortunate also helps you to come out of your shell and see things more clearly. You may find yourself even more grateful for what you have. ^{[25] X Trusted Source HelpGuide Go to Source}

You can teach adults and children to read at your local library, volunteer at a charity kitchen, or clean up a park near you.

Steps

Coping with loneliness

Stay positive

Find support

find friend

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