Get Un-Lonely, For Your Health: 5 Steps to End Chronic Loneliness
Loneliness is on the rise, and if left unchecked, it can pose a mental and physical health risks. I listed many of those Tuesday, and went more in-depth on what loneliness is and various contributing factors.
The most important thing, besides preventing chronic loneliness in the first place, is recognizing you’re going through it and taking steps to address it.
If you’re feeling lonely, here are 5 things you can do:
1. Connect in-person.
Spend time with a friend, colleague or acquaintance in-person, rather than via social media or text. Even a phone conversation, experts say, is superior. Rather than messaging, walk down the hall to your colleague’s office. Rather than staring at your phone in line or walking down the street, greet strangers. Engage with the world and humans around you.
2. Quality not Quantity:
Loneliness isn’t about the number of connections you have. It’s about the discrepancy between the connections you have and the connections you desire. Some research shows that “even a handful of close relationships seems to have the potential to buffer against some of loneliness’s negative psychological effects.”
3. Remember you healthy habits:
Exercise, especially exercise outdoors, will boost endorphins and serotonin, which will then boost mood and can help you feel happier. It will also improve your sleep. Insufficient sleep has been associated with loneliness, as well as depression, anxiety, and moodiness. A healthy diet, similarly, can help you feel better about yourself and play a role in your mental and physical health. These self-care habits may seem unrelated to loneliness, but due to the mind-body connection, they can play a role in improving how you feel about yourself and the world around you.
4. Give back:
Try volunteering in your community. Volunteering will help you: take your mind off yourself; connect with others; boost cognitive performance; and give you a sense of meaning. NCVO published Jan 2019 a survey of over 10,000 people in the U.K., two-thirds reported that volunteering helped them feel less isolated.
5. Seek help:
There are several types of mental health professionals. Finding the right fit for your need, is kind of like dating (according to my own counselor and I who discussed this in one of my final sessions). To start, you can look at your health insurance for in-network providers. You can also start with Mental Health America (for those in the US): https://www.mhanational.org/types-mental-health-professionals This page will break down the different types of practitioners and support groups, and give you next steps. You can cross reference this list with your insurance provider’s list. Or call the practitioner’s office to inquire if they take your insurance.
References:
https://www.cigna.com/individuals-families/health-wellness/chronic-loneliness
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170517090647.htm
https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/what-lifestyle-changes-are-recommended-anxiety-and-depression
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-solution-for-loneliness