How to Overcome Loneliness

There are many reasons people feel lonely, such as socially awkward and intentionally isolated. Some people even fall into loneliness even though they are surrounded by many other people, and the reason is that they lack meaningful connection with these people. ^{[1] X Research Sources} Each of us experiences loneliness from time to time, and one thing is for sure, that feeling is never pleasant. To overcome loneliness, you need to take a lot of different steps, like meeting new friends, learning to appreciate alone time, and reconnecting with your family. For more on how to get rid of loneliness, take a moment to check out the suggestions below.

Table of Contents

Understanding Feelings of Loneliness

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Find out why you feel alone. For a positive change that can work for you, take the time to find out why you’re feeling lonely. ^{[2] X Research Source} For example, you may feel lonely because you have few friends around. If that’s the case, you should go out and start making friends. However, after making many new friends, you will still feel lonely if that loneliness comes from the fact that you have too many friends but there is no sacred and meaningful connection between them and you. . The following questions can help you find the real root cause:

When do you feel the loneliest?
Do certain people make you feel more alone around them?
How often do you have this feeling?
When you’re lonely, what do you usually want to do?

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Practice journaling to capture your inner thoughts and feelings. Journaling can help you better understand feelings of loneliness and is also seen as a great way to relieve stress. ^{[3] X Research Resources} To begin your writing journey, you should choose somewhere quiet and comfortable and plan to spend about 20 minutes a day writing. Write about your own range of feelings or thoughts. Or you can use the text prompt. Some prompt suggestions that you might consider are:

“I feel lonely when…”
“I feel lonely because…”
When did you start feeling lonely? How often do you have this feeling? ^{[4] X Research Sources}

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Practice meditation. Several studies have shown that meditation helps ease feelings of loneliness and depression. ^{[5] X Research Sources} Purity of Mind is also a great method for you to better understand the loneliness that is hiding in your soul as well as to help you know where it comes from. Meditation requires a lot of time, practice, and guidance. So, your best bet is to find a meditation class around your area. If there aren’t any classes around, you should invest in a CD that teaches you how to meditate. ^{[6] X Research Source}

Before you start practicing kusala, find a quiet place and relax your body. You can sit on a chair or a cushion placed on the floor while your legs are crossed. Close your eyes and focus on your breath. When you focus on your breathing, don’t get distracted by other wandering thoughts. Ignore everything around.
While closing your eyes, imagine the world around you. Don’t forget to pay attention to your feelings. What do you hear or smell? How do you feel physically and mentally? ^{[7] X Research Sources}

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Consider talking to your doctor about how you’re feeling. It’s hard to express why you feel alone and how you overcame that feeling. A seasoned psychologist can help you understand and overcome loneliness. This feeling may indicate that you are breaking down or that your inner mental health is unstable. Having a frank discussion with a therapist can help you understand what’s going on and take effective action to get out of it.

Chloe Carmichael, PhD

Clinical Psychologist, Author of “Nervous Energy”

Chloe Carmichael, PhD in clinical psychology and has a private practice in New York City. With over a decade of counseling experience, Chloe specializes in emotional counseling, stress management, self-esteem and career coaching. Chloe teaches undergraduate courses at Long Island University and is an adjunct professor at New York University. Chloe earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from Long Island University in Brooklyn, New York, and received clinical training at Lenox Hill Hospital and Kings County Hospital. She is accredited by the American Psychological Association and is the author of “Nerve Energy: Harnessing the Power of Anxiety.”

Chloe Carmichael, PhD
Clinical Psychologist, Author of “Nervous Energy”

If you want to know why you’re lonely, finding a mental health professional is the smartest choice, experts say . You can join a club, go out socially to meet people, and make a list of people you need to stay in touch with, but if this doesn’t work and you seem stuck, your therapist will. can help you get over those thoughts and feelings.

Make Yourself Feel Comfortable

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Realize that you are not alone. Loneliness is merely part of being human, but it can also make you feel like you’re not normal. Meet and talk to a close friend or family member about how you’re feeling. Once you’ve fully conveyed your feelings to them, you can also ask them if they’ve ever felt the same way. The process of meeting and sharing your feelings with someone will help you realize that you are not as alone as you think. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Try saying something like, “I’ve been feeling lonely lately and I wanted to know if you’ve ever felt that way.”
If you don’t have a close friend or family member to talk to, talk to a teacher, counselor, or even a priest. ^{[9] X Research Source}

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Forward. Instead of focusing on how lonely you feel, do something to clear your mind of it. Take a walk, bike ride, or read a book. You should spend more time exploring your activities and interests, and don’t be afraid to try new things. The experience will give you the foundation to speak confidently in social situations (so you’ll have a chance to strike up a conversation with more people) and open up stories that will delight others. ^{[10] X Research Source}

Keep yourself busy. Free time is what makes you feel lonely. So don’t forget to plunge into work or extracurricular activities.

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Do social activities yourself. If you can’t get someone to hang out with for the day, don’t let that stop you from going out and enjoying yourself. For example, if you want to go out to dinner or watch a movie, do what you want. Although it may sound a bit weird to do things alone when you can do them with other people, don’t hesitate. There’s nothing weird about being yourself and doing whatever you want. Once you remember why you did these things in the past, you can do them again more easily!

If you go out to eat or drink coffee alone, don’t forget to bring a book, magazine or diary. At this point, you will have something to do (busy) while you want to interact with something. Remember that people often go out alone to spend more time with themselves; It’s not like when you’re alone, people think you’re lonely and you don’t have any friends.
It will take a while to get used to the feeling of going out on your own. But don’t give up on this even if you’re a bit awkward at first.

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Think about having a pet. If you’re struggling without the help of friends or family, consider getting a cat or dog from your local animal shelter. For generations, pets have been seen as trusted companions in the home. So, winning their hearts will give you a valuable experience.

Be a responsible owner. Make sure your pets are neutered and that you should only welcome them into your world when you are ready to take on the responsibility of taking good care of them.

Re-Integrating with Society

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Actively participate in activities. To make new friends, you have to step out of your shell and integrate into the outside world. Try joining a sports league, signing up for a gifted class, or volunteering in your community. If you’re shy or shy, sign up for a group of members with symptoms of social phobia, even if it’s just an online group. For more ideas about activities in your area, you should search sites like Craigslist, Meetup, or local online sites. ^{[11] X Trusted Source HelpGuide Go to source}

Don’t focus entirely on making friends and meeting people. Be bold in socializing and don’t expect too much. You should let yourself enjoy and be comfortable no matter what. Do what you love and participate in multi-member groups like book clubs, church choirs, political campaigns, concerts, and art exhibitions.

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Challenge yourself by volunteering to initiate social relationships. Getting to know new people requires you to start at the beginning and get others to join you. Don’t just sit around and wait for someone to come talk to you. Instead, boldly approach them first. Ask if they want to talk or go out for coffee with you. It’s best to show them your interest in them before they show any interest in you. ^{[12] X Trusted Source HelpGuide Go to source}

Be yourself when you’re getting to know someone. Don’t try to impress someone you just met by lying or bragging about yourself. That can cause a new friendship that has not yet blossomed to come to an end.
Be an understanding listener. Concentrate when everyone is talking. The important thing here is that you should respond to the story your best friend just told to show her that you’ve been listening to the whole thing. Otherwise, she’ll assume you don’t care what she has to say. ^{[13] X Trusted Source HelpGuide Go to source}

Enjoy Feeling Lonely

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Distinguish the difference between solitude and solitude. Loneliness is when you feel unhappy in your alone state, while solitude is when you still feel happy and know how to enjoy yourself when alone. There is, of course, nothing wrong with solitude, the desire to want and enjoy the feeling of being alone. Moments alone are really fun and useful.

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Learn to improve and make yourself happy. Often, we tend to spend all of our time on others, and neglect ourselves. If you are going through a period of loneliness, use this time to do all you want for yourself. This is a great opportunity and you deserve to be happy!

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Thinking about joining the gym. Working out and taking care of the body is the first thing we put aside when we are too busy with work. If you spend little time with others, use that time to exercise. When you work out at the gym, you’ll have the chance to meet new friends or even meet someone truly special in your heart! ^{[17] X Research Source}

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Learn new skills. Taking some time for yourself to explore a new hobby will help you overcome feelings of loneliness, even if you do it yourself. You can learn how to play an instrument, paint, or even learn to dance. These subjects not only help you meet new people, but also give your emotions a creative direction. Let’s turn loneliness into something better!

Treat yourself to a delicious homemade treat or bake for friends and neighbors. Cooking is an art well worth doing. You can focus fully on cooking nutritious food.
Don’t be afraid to join a club to share with members with the same interests as you. ^{[18] X Research Sources}

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Do something big. People often dream of doing something big, but they have a thousand excuses to avoid it. Have you ever dreamed of writing a book or making a movie? Use the moment of solitude as an excuse for those great actions. Maybe they will help you get out of loneliness, who knows?

Advice

For someone you happen to know, don’t rush to consider them as your true best friend and put all your trust in them. Trust needs to be built slowly and you have to accept them for who they are. There is nothing wrong with making new friends because you will feel comfortable meeting face-to-face and sharing your story with a certain group of friends, while there will be a group of close friends you trust. to tell the full story. Think of communication as concentric circles.
Realize that people can still feel “alone in a crowd.” You can have friends, family, and acquaintances but still feel lonely. For some people, opening up to the people around them is really difficult. In this case, they should seek the help of a psychologist.
Learn to be satisfied with yourself. When you learn to love yourself, it will show on the outside. People are often attracted to people who are confident and optimistic.
Understand that it’s not just love that makes you happy. How hard it is to see your friends go out and go on dates or carry the feeling that you’re not normal when you don’t know someone. However, it doesn’t have to be a date to feel like you’re part of society or to feel that you’re in the arms of people who care about you. You should simply make new friends and only really date when you’re ready.
Remember, the reason you are self-aware is because everyone is self-aware of what they do. People don’t focus on criticizing your mistakes. Instead, they are more likely to feel sorry for themselves about their mistakes.
Create a positive atmosphere and mood. Realize that solitude is the right time to try something new, clear your mind, and nurture creativity. A lot of celebrities have spent time alone.
Always be yourself! You don’t have to be someone else to make someone like or be with you. Each person will have different style and special points. Take time to take care of yourself and learn the good qualities hidden deep inside you. People like you for who you are, not someone you try to imitate.
Sometimes, you’re the one who shows off who you are. Don’t make yourself like that, even if you have to go through a moment of awkwardness for a short time. Things will get better if you take the time to go out, meet other people, and don’t be afraid to try something new. Love yourself so that others will love you as well.
For those with religious beliefs, consider joining a group of members who believe like you. Most churches have several such groups. If your local church doesn’t have one, call for one.
Rest will help you remember things and calm yourself down.
Think of a place that makes you feel happy or want to go.
Listen to music or read books with the second person in you because it will make you feel like someone is talking to you.
If you still feel lonely, try thinking about finding a friend to share a room with or live with your parents. You can have a pet, like a dog or a cat if you want!
If you are a quiet person, be confident! People can’t recognize you or get to know you better if you don’t attract attention.
Spend time enhancing and perfecting your talents, such as joining a dance club, church choir, music class, etc. You will have the opportunity to meet many new members with similar interests as you. !

Warning

Certain gangs or cults will take advantage of your weakness and loneliness to influence you negatively. Therefore, you should be vigilant and listen to advice from several others about any group you intend to join.
If the feeling of loneliness persists with you, seek medical help. It could be a sign of depression.
When you feel lonely, temporarily stay away from social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter – they will not help your social relationships. Not only do some people have a grudge against these sites, but seeing some of your friends “updating their status” with interesting activity also makes you feel worse. Instead, organize an outdoor activity, like hiking, playing with your dog, or going for a walk with a sibling.
Being too dependent on the online community as a social direction for yourself will be addictive and make things more complicated. You should only use them as a tool to meet like-minded people around your area and make an effort to get to know your online friends. This is considered an effective filter tool to help you identify similar interests. However, don’t expect people to go offline like you while they’re online.
You might run into a few bad guys in a negative group. Try to join an active group and mingle with good members.

Steps