Loneliness

1. Identify what makes you feel lonely

• Identifying the cause of your loneliness can help you find ways of feeling better. Take some time to reflect on what makes you feel lonely. You could write your thoughts down in a journal with ideas next to them for things you will incorporate into your life to help overcome loneliness.

2. Open Up

• Even if you have lots of friends you may not feel close to them. In that situation it may help to choose one or two of those friends who you can build more meaningful connections with open about how you feel.

3. Make new connections

• Meeting new people can help us overcome loneliness. You might consider joining a class or an online community where people have the same hobbies or interests as you, or perhaps there is a new hobby you would like to try? When we join a group where people have the same interests as us there is an automatic connection with them through our common interest.

4. Volunteer

• Volunteering is a great way for us to meet new people, make meaningful connections and helps us to feel a part of something. When we volunteer it not only helps in overcoming loneliness but also helps us feel happier. Is there an organisation or charity that you would like to offer your skills to? Visit our volunteering page here for our current volunteer opportunities.

5. Practise Self-Care

• When your feeling lonely it’s important to practise self-compassion and take time to look after you. Whether it’s an indulgent bubble bath, a walk in your favourite park or an exercise class where social connections can also be made, take time to incorporate self-care into your everyday. Visit our self-care page here for more self-care tips.

6. Be mindful online

• Social Media can give a misleading impression of others’ lifestyle as it only shows what people want to share about their lives. It’s easy to feel like you are the only one who is lonely but in fact it may be experienced by many people.

7. Think about how you are feeling

• Loneliness can have a big impact on your general wellbeing. Thinking about your eating, sleeping, self-esteem and physical health might help to identify positive changes you can make. Visit our Wellbeing Top Tips Page here for our top tips on how to look after these areas of your wellbeing.

8. Ask for help

• There are many organisations that can offer help and help you connect with others if you are feeling lonely. Visit our “Other Helpful Organisations” page here for further information.