Loneliness is a complex state of mind. Many people have to go through short bouts of loneliness at some point in their lives. It is an unpleasant emotion that is unique to each individual. You don’t need to worry about it if you experience loneliness for a short period. Unfortunately, it continues for a long time and worsens in many people. That is when you need to learn how to deal with loneliness.
What Makes You Feel Lonely?
What makes you feel lonely and isolated? You can find many people who experience a true sense of interconnectedness. Loneliness makes you feel frustrated and distressed. Interconnectedness keeps you confident, happy, and energetic. You don’t need to be physically alone to be lonely. Relationship issues, workplace stress, or toxic friendship can make you feel lonely. A sense of interconnectedness includes many different forms of connection. When you miss one of these connections, you are vulnerable to loneliness.
Different Types of Loneliness
If you want to know how to deal with loneliness, you must have a clear idea about different types of loneliness. Psychologists and mental health researchers say that loneliness can be classified into three distinct categories, emotional, situational, and social.
Emotional Loneliness
Emotional loneliness is not necessarily circumstantial. This type of loneliness comes from within. It stems from the feeling that you don’t have relationships or attachments. This condition might make you feel lonely for a close friend, romantic partner, sibling, or parent.
Situational Loneliness
Situational loneliness occurs as a result of a change in your circumstances. This change can make you feel isolated. Many people choose to work abroad nowadays. During the initial period of their relocation, they need to make many adjustments while making new friends and adapting to a new culture. This situation can make people terribly lonely. It is a perfect example of situational loneliness.
Social Loneliness
Factors such as low self-esteem, social awkwardness, and shyness can make you vulnerable to social loneliness. You will often doubt your capacity and competence in handling social situations. This vicious circle makes you a victim of social loneliness gradually.
When you don’t know how to deal with loneliness, the condition worsens gradually. This condition is known as chronic loneliness.
What are the Main Causes of Loneliness?
The main contributing factors to loneliness are situational variables like divorce, moving to a new location, relationship breakup, death of near and dear ones, and physical isolation. Psychological disorders such as anxiety and depression can also lead to loneliness.
Internal factors, including low self-esteem, make you vulnerable to isolation and loneliness. Many people, especially introverts, feel lonely due to their inability to socialize and establish social connections.
How to deal with loneliness? Identifying the underlying reason is the first step you need to find a solution to your loneliness-related issues.
Common Signs and Symptoms of Loneliness
Many different types of symptoms can be associated with loneliness. You may always feel sad and empty. Here are the prominent symptoms of chronic loneliness:
- Reduced appetite
- Low energy
- Lack of concentration
- Feeling foggy
- Self-doubt and worthlessness
- Insomnia and other sleep issues
- Body aches and pains
- Misuse of substance
- Restlessness and anxiousness
- Unwanted cravings for blankets, cozy clothes, baths, and hot drinks
Negative feelings will dominate your mind. You will lose the ability to connect with other people on a deeper and more intimate level. Loneliness makes you feel isolated even when attending a party or a social event. Whenever you make efforts to connect with others, you will fail miserably. These are the most common signs and symptoms of loneliness.
Psychological and Mental impacts of Loneliness
According to psychologists, the experience of loneliness is highly subjective. You can be alone without worrying about loneliness. Different set-points for loneliness can be associated with various individuals. Based on the unique life circumstances, each individual fluctuates around these set-points.
These set-points do not fluctuate within the normal limits when you experience neuroticism, poor social support, and depression. This situation makes you highly vulnerable to chronic loneliness. Prolonged loneliness leads to anxiety, stress, and cognitive decline over time.
How to Beat Loneliness in the workplace?
When you are mentally disturbed due to loneliness, your productivity comes down drastically. This situation results in unwanted workplace issues. An emotional withdrawal from your organization is what happens when you experience chronic loneliness. This situation makes you less attentive, collaborative, creative, and committed.
When the quality and quantity of your work deteriorates, you will have to deal with many workplace issues. How to beat loneliness in the workplace?
If you are an introvert, you must accept this fact. Everyone cannot be a social butterfly. You should give yourself time to meet people naturally. Don’t force it.
Stop blaming yourself. Seek out opportunities to connect with your colleagues and friends. It can be done in many different ways. Try to go out for lunch or dinner with a colleague. Participate in community/social events in your area to keep yourself busy.
If you notice any workplace culture issues, you must speak to a member of the management team. Bring his attention to creating a more supportive environment.
Stay away from the toxic culture that aggravates your loneliness. Work on something you are passionate about. This approach helps you open up more and connect with others.
Make efforts to connect with others outside work. You can come across many online platforms where workplace loneliness-related issues are discussed. The best platforms help you get rid of loneliness through quality advice and tips.
Develop your existing relationships to control your loneliness. Share your problem with a trusted friend. Your friend can offer a different perspective that helps you tackle your loneliness. Further, sharing your problem provides welcome relief.
The Best Tips and Strategies to Get Rid of Loneliness
How to deal with loneliness? It is a million-dollar question for all those people who experience chronic loneliness in their lives. Chronic loneliness often creates many relationship issues to make life more miserable. Here are some valuable tips you need to follow to beat loneliness:
- Accept that you have a problem to deal with. Then, you can make conscious efforts to combat them.
- Look inwards and appreciate yourself. You can practice meditation to control loneliness and stay relaxed.
- Reach out to family members and friends whenever you have the time to find a support group. Express your feelings and seek their advice.
- Do some community service or participate in social activities that you enjoy. These situations offer excellent opportunities to meet new people and establish relationships with them.
- Try to develop new, healthy and meaningful relationships. You should look for people with a positive outlook on life.
- Start exercising daily and follow a healthy diet. Exercise and diet always help you stay active and energetic.
If you follow these tips, you can learn how to deal with loneliness. It is essential to get rid of loneliness as early as possible. Prolonged isolation and loneliness will deteriorate your physical and mental health to make life highly miserable.
