Loneliness: What to Do If You Feel Alone

You could say that in this day and age we are more connected than ever thanks to social media. There is Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Skype, the list could go on.

It gives us the ability to speak to our love ones even if they are on the other side of the world. We can physically see and hear them thanks to video calls.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t stop us from sometimes feeling like we are alone. Reality is that there are points in life where you might feel alone for different reasons.

But what to do if you feel alone?

Accept how you are feeling; this will help you a lot! Talk about it with family and friends, make it clear how you are feeling. Go places and try to interact with people, you might even make a friends for life.

Let’s continue on this topic, what can cause loneliness.

What causes loneliness?

Did you know that loneliness can cause depression?

That’s a reason why we need to learn what causes loneliness, so you can become aware of these triggers.

There can be many different reasons why you might feel alone, the main causes of feeling alone are:

Your surrounding environment

If you have moved to a new area where you don’t know anyone, that can cause you to feel alone.

Moving to a new place usually means you don’t know anyone that lives there, this can be very overwhelming and lonely in the beginning but there are always ways to meet new people and overcome this feeling.

Circumstances in life

Life can be cruel to us sometimes. There are things which are inevitable such as someone passing away.

When someone losses a loved one due they can feel alone and lost because that person was once there but now they aren’t.

Personal matters like a breakup can cause someone to feel alone, being in a relationship usually involves spending a lot of time with one particular person so when that ends it can be a shock to the system and make you feel alone.

What to do if you feel alone?

Feeling alone can be a horrible feeling which can really impact your mental health. We have come up with a couple of tips on what to do if you feel alone.

These tips can help you to realise that you aren’t alone. There are always people who want to help, whether they are your family, friends, a stranger, therapist, etc.

Let people know you feel alone

Talking to people about how you feel alone might feel scary and daunting, but no one will know that you are feeling alone unless you talk about your feelings. If they don’t know they can’t help you.

Once you express your feelings, they will be able to help. Whether they try to help you or refer you to a professional, such as a counselor or a therapist.

Talking to a close friend or family member means that you aren’t carrying this burden alone.

People are aware of how you are feeling and will want to help you to feel better. Admitting you feel alone is a huge step into getting the help you need. It’s better to speak up than to keep quiet.

Start a new hobby

Small note: starting a new hobby is a great way to make like-minded friends.

Whether you start a hobby at home such as knitting, or an online class or physically go to a local workshop, you will have people you can speak to and they will have the same interest as you do.

The amazing thing about the internet is that there are online groups where you can connect with others who are like-minded.

Visit a public place

If you are looking for a way to meet new people, then going for a walk in your local park or visit a coffee shop is a great way to do so.

These are places where other people usually are. You might find that there is someone else who is alone and can start a conversation with them.

Try a relaxation or mindfulness app

There are many different apps which are designed to help people that might feel alone or are suffering from their mental health to feel better.

They usually have daily tasks that are designed to help you feel relaxed and happier.

Reconnect with friends or family

If you have distanced yourself from those you were once close to, try to reconnect with them.

It could be the reason why you might be feeling lonely. See if they want to meet up for a chat or to go out for food or a coffee.

You might find that they feel the same way as you.

What you shouldn’t do if you feel alone

We’ve told you what to do if you feel alone, but what if loneliness kicks in and you fall in trap of bad habits?

Unfortunately, there are things that we automatically try and do to make us feel better, but sometimes these should be avoided.

Don’t try everything at once

As much as you might want to start feeling better straight away, trying everything at once might overwhelm you and make you feel worse, things are better done in small sections.

The best way to do it is by setting small goals which can be easily achieved.

Once you have completed a goal, you can then move on and try the next goal.

Do not compare yourselves to others

The worst thing you could do is compare your life to other peoples.

Yes, it might look like they’re happy and living an amazing life on social media.

But people can portray their lives to look anyway if they choose to. It is also only an aspect of their life that you are seeing, they only upload what they want others to see.

Reality is, is that no one is perfect, there are always issues even if you can’t see them.

Don’t fight loneliness alone (You see that irony?)

If you don’t speak up about feeling alone then no one knows how you feel.

They don’t know that you need support or someone to speak to so it’s best to let people know so they can help you.

Don’t use alcohol, drugs, cigarettes or gambling as a coping mechanism

You might feel better at the time of using them but they will not help in the long-term. On the other hand, they often lead to further issues such as poor mental health.

So now you know what to do if you feel alone and what not to do.

Try practicing these yourself and see if they work for you. You might find that they do help and you feel much better from it.

Just remember that you’re never alone, there is always someone to help or to talk to.

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