The feeling we experience when our need for fulfilling social contact and connections is unmet is a typical description of loneliness. People who are in a lonely state feel deeply empty and disconnected from the people around them, rendering the company they are in meaningless. In essence, they have a very difficult time connecting with others and feel emancipated from meaningful connections.
This emotion has been experienced by everyone in the world at some point. Particularly in these days of rapid technological advancement, loneliness is becoming an increasingly prevalent emotion, even leading to depression.
However, being alone (by oneself) does not always mean that a person is lonely.
LONELINESS vs. BEING ALONE
Loneliness: feelings of isolation despite a desire for social relationships. It’s an unintentional breakup, rejection, or abandonment.
Being Alone: People who like their alone time keep up healthy social connections that they can resort to when they desire interaction. They still interact with others, but they balance out their social time with alone time. Being alone is beneficial since it gives a chance to recharge, recover, and rediscover important aspects of one’s life, both physically and mentally.
The following are some common behaviors that you may exhibit when you are lonely:
- You believe that there is something wrong with you.
- You believe that your issues are so peculiar that nobody else can relate to them.
- You feel extremely self-conscious about everything you do.
- You believe that other people have friends, but you don’t.
- You feel that nothing else matters and consider harming yourself.
- You feel drowned out by other people’s voices when in a crowd and as if you don’t belong there despite your presence.
- You become timid and afraid of others.
- Considering suicide due to the feeling that nothing else matters
How can you then deal with loneliness?
Developing new friendships, taking care of yourself, and learning to feel better about yourself in general are a few ways to begin overcoming loneliness.
To achieve that, you need to:
- Believe that loneliness is merely a temporary experience and that you will eventually get over it.
- Introduce yourself to new environments where you can meet people. Take part in things that truly interest you. Meet with those who share your interests.
- Make an effort to converse with a new person. It can be challenging, but you have to be intentional.
- Open yourself to others. You can’t expect people to open up to a closed person about their concerns.
- Learn to spend time alone and meditate so you can better assess yourself. Reflect back on pleasant memories and be thankful.
- Quit listening to lonely music.
- Live a well-balanced life. Never neglect getting enough sleep, exercising, and eating healthily.
- Acquire a new skill. When you succeed at something, you’ll feel proud of yourself.
- Don’t make assumptions about new people based on your interactions with other people in the past. Instead of passing judgment on everyone you encounter, try to see them from a different angle.
- Don’t expect too much from people by expecting them to easily share too much information or hurry into relationships with you.
- Consult a counselor and speak privately.
- Seek medical counseling if you are suffering from long-term depression.