How can people overcome feelings of loneliness? There are several steps an individual can take to reduce loneliness:
- Strengthen existing relationships and cultivate new ones. Don’t wait for others to make the first move-offer a helping hand or extend an invitation.
- Get out of the house. Take a class…volunteer…join a club such as a book club or any kind of group, one that meets in person. The best activities are those that involve significant interpersonal interactions.
- Try to appear approachable when you are out…just keep smiling and saying hello to strangers may help you feel less isolated. Even simple things like a baseball cap or a sports shirt can spark conversations. Expressing gratitude to others can go a long way toward lessening feelings of loneliness. Performing small acts of kindness and sharing your talents and gifts with others such as sharing your cooking skills for your favorite recipes can help you feel more connected. There’s also evidence that spending time in nature or practicing mindfulness meditation can help reduce loneliness.
- What about a pet? There is some evidence that links pet ownership to less isolation. Perhaps by increasing your time outside leading to more interaction with others.
- Connect with others virtually. Email, texts, and video chats can be instrumental in helping maintain key relationships.
- Seek help from a health care provider who can help connect you with resources and support such as support groups. Research shows that patients with health care concerns who are given psychological support as well as medical care are 20% more likely to survive than similar patients given only medical care.
- How many friends should a person have? A study published in 2016 by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that having four to six people in your life is about right. Fewer than that makes you vulnerable to loneliness.
- Lastly what happens when you lose a loved one? The key is to have several close connections so that your grief can be buffered by the loss.
- Neighbors can be vitally important sources of support. If you don’t’ know them already, introduce yourself. Check on them regularly. This can reduce your feelings of loneliness and increase your likelihood of survival in a crisis.
- If you think I can be of assistance in helping you connect to others, please contact me at 361.442.9590 or [email protected]