5 Things That Have Stopped Me Feeling So Lonely
Loneliness is not something that I've been shy to talk about over the past few years. And I think whether we like to admit it or not it's something that we all struggle with from time to time and especially in our 20's when our lives are completely different from what they used to be at school or university. Loneliness is something that is always seen as such an awful somewhat embarrassing thing which makes the whole emotion feel so much worse than it needs to be which makes people even more scared to admit they might feel a little lonely. And I know in the past it's something that I've felt very ashamed of but I know that feeling that way ultimately doesn't change anything and it's down to us to make a difference and here are the things that I've found really to help when it comes to loneliness.
LEARNING TO LOVE YOURSELF
Learning to truly love and appreciate who you are as a person is without a doubt one of the hardest things to do and it's a long journey but it's something that I think is so important. It's something that I've said before on this blog and it's probably somewhat obvious but ultimately people can come and go out of our lives and they never have any obligation to stay. So having a good relationship with who we truly are and enjoying our own company is something that I've found to be an integral part of not feeling so alone in this world. Some people might think spending time on your own and really enjoying it is a little odd but it isn't and hanging out by myself and taking myself on little dates is something I savour and really look forward to.
PODCASTS
If you work from home alone or you just generally find yourself on your own quite often then I can't recommend listening to a podcast enough. Tv is all well and good but there is just something so different about a podcast I think, hearing someone talk even though it's not directly to me and I'm not involved in the conversation is something I find so calming when I'm particularly lonely. As well as podcasts not only being awesome for entertainment purposes they're also so good for learning about something new or listening to an interview with someone you admire. A couple of my favourites recently have been;
BEING BRAVE ENOUGH TO REACH OUT
Something I'm still working on is being brave enough to reach out to other people. Because chances are if you feel lonely then other people are feeling lonely too and especially when you're shy it can be so scary to reach out to other people. And there are so many reasons why we feel nervous to reach out but it's very rare that those fears actually come true. Making new friends when you're an adult and even keeping hold of the existing relationships that you have is incredibly difficult and not something I find is spoken about enough. Even if you don't work at home by yourself making long-lasting friendships outside of the workplace is so difficult but it isn't possible. Social media is such an awesome tool for this and it can really break down those barriers. Luckily in 2017 it isn't so frowned upon to meet someone in real life who you've been talking to on the internet.
GETTING OUT
I'm a total homebody there is no denying that but something I do find pretty important when you know loneliness is something you suffer with is getting out of the house. Even if you don't speak to somebody else just being around other human beings is something I've found incredibly helpful. There is an age old saying that you can still be in a crowded room and feel alone and whilst for the most part I believe that. However, there is something comforting about being around other human beings. Places I tend to do this is at the gym or in a coffee shop if I decide to have a day out of the house to work. As I work from home and obviously don't have colleagues [unless you count the dog which I do, to be honest] just being around other living and breathing humans is something that's helped me so much and especially when I feel slightly stir crazy because I've spent far too much time by myself.
READING
Getting lost in a good book isn't something I've properly done in a while if I'm completely honest. But it's something I know is so good especially when I'm either feeling really rubbish or need to lose myself to another world for a little bit. Whilst podcasts are something I turn to typically when I want to learn something new a good book is what I turn to when I want to be entertained and forget about the real world and become enamoured with a fake one. And of course, we all know how awesome reading is for winding down for the day and doing fun that doesn't involve a screen. The only problem is when you get swept up in a really awesome book and end up reading well into the night...we've all been there I'm sure.
Have you found anything to really help with loneliness?
