Loneliness is one thing almost everyone battles with all over the world. Dealing with this emotional state isn’t easy at all. No matter the type of loneliness you are battling, here are guidelines and tips on how to cope with loneliness.
Loneliness can come as a result of a breakup, the death of a loved one, or simply because we moved into a new place, or something negative happened to us and we decide to isolate ourselves from others. No matter why you feel lonely, just know it’s normal to feel isolated and alone. But for some people, loneliness is a chronic feeling that can be hard to shake.
“Loneliness is an unpleasant emotional response to perceived isolation. It is also described as social pain – a psychological mechanism that motivates individuals to seek social connections.” Wikipedia. This emotional state has its own effects on individuals. And some of these negative impacts of loneliness is as follows:
Effects of loneliness on individuals
Loneliness can affect your health. As an emotional problem, it has the capacity to affect your mental health, lead to death, affect your mood, and your interaction or relationship with other people. For example, a person who is feeling lonely because they just lost a loved one, is capable of isolating him or herself from others as a result of depression and this emotional state can lead to other health problems like stroke, mental health issues, etc. Even research proves that the majority of people suffering from loneliness have a high chance of committing suicide.
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Types of loneliness
There are different types of loneliness but I’m going to focus mainly, on three types; emotional, social, and situational loneliness. I shall explain each one briefly.
1. Emotional loneliness
This type of loneliness has to do with being emotionally distanced from your loved ones. For example, the loneliness that transpires as a result of a breakup, or the loss of a loved one is emotional loneliness. It has to do with how you feel when you get detached from people that matter in your life.
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2. Social loneliness
This loneliness occurs when we feel like we are all alone in this world. For example, those who don’t have friends, or who feel isolated from the public as a result of health issues are suffering from social loneliness. It wasn’t intentional. It occurred as a result of the isolation from the public.
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3. Situational loneliness
Most people feel lonely as a result of life situations. For example, a person who relocated to a different area, far from his friends and family members is likely to experience situational loneliness. This type of loneliness occurs due to the temporary condition he or she finds themselves.
How to cope with loneliness
1. Identify the cause of your loneliness
To successfully deal with or cope with loneliness, you have to realize why you feel lonely. For example, if your loneliness is a result of a breakup, the death of a loved one, or social isolation, it is necessary you find out the root of your problem. You can’t resolve a problem if you have not find out what the cause or causes are. This is the first step to adapting to loneliness.
2. Reach out to people
Sometimes, we feel lonely because we keep our thoughts and emotions to ourselves. A problem shared is a problem solved. To cope with loneliness, consider sharing your feelings with a friend or a family member who will comfort you and make you feel strengthened. If you are in a new environment, consider striking up a conversation with a stranger about how you feel and ask them if they have ever felt that way and how they were able to deal with the loneliness. This strategy will help you alleviate loneliness as soon as possible.
3. Make new friends and interact with others
Friends have a lot of benefits we can’t sum up in one word. If you are feeling lonely because you don’t have friends, you just lost a loved one or broke up with your partner, making new friends or interacting with your old friends can help to reduce loneliness.
Conclusion
Loneliness is an everyday challenge to everyone all over the world. Some ugly situations will often come to make you feel alone in this devasted world. But in all this, never stop practicing self-care and continue to love yourself. Eat healthy meals, exercise, have a nice sleep, and don’t forget to go out to meet and interact with others. These are simple ways you can cope with loneliness.
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