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Everybody gets lonely, it doesn’t matter who they are. Loneliness is something that happens to everyone at some point, but it can be hard to deal with. For some people. Loneliness might be more difficult than for others because of their personality or how they cope with it. Even though Sequestrationis different for everyone. There are things you can do to make yourself feel better when you’re lonely.
Definition Of Loneliness
Cacioppo, from his book Loneliness: ‘Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection’. Loneliness is a state of mind characterized by a dissociation between what an individual wants or expects from a relationship and what that individual experiences in that relationship.
Loneliness is most often felt when we find ourselves spending time alone. Alone time can vary from by yourself for 15 minutes or several hours or even days. Depending on the circumstance of why you are feeling this way alone. It could range anywhere from having no friends at school. Because you do not know anyone to be home alone with no family around for an extended period of time. Loneliness is more than just feeling physically alone. Loneliness is also known as “isolation” at times. Seclusion is frequently related to sadness and anxiety. Loneliness may afflict people of any age; it has no regard for gender or colour; it affects us all equally.
Social Loneliness
Loneliness transcends what you might think it looks like and how it makes you feel. It may make someone appear aloof and detached from the group. Trying not to engage in what others are doing. So that our mental health should be fit.
Because they do not want others to think they only hung out with them to be included. This type of loneliness is known as social loneliness (Hawkley & Cacioppo, 2010). Insulation can also make you feel restless and agitated as if there is something wrong. But you cannot quite put your finger on it.
Solitude may make you feel like you are not good enough or that there is something wrong with you. Segregation might cause someone to feel like a burden to others. Because they are not able to socialize the way everyone else seems to be able to.
Loneliness can manifest in different ways for different people. It is important to be aware of how it might be affecting you so that you can take steps to manage it.
Recognize Loneliness
The first step in managing loneliness is recognizing that abandonment exists. And that it is okay to feel this way at times. Unhapiness is normal and natural; it does not mean there is something wrong with you. Loneliness is a normal reaction to certain life events or changes. Such as moving away from home for the first time, graduating from school, or losing a loved one. Withdrawal can also be caused by our environment. Such as when we live in a small town where everyone knows each other and we do not fit in. Loneliness can even be triggered by our thoughts, such as when we are overthinking things and begin to feel disconnected from those around us. Segregation is an individual experience that means something different to everyone who feels it.
Become Comfortable With Yourself
Once you have recognized that loneliness exists and that it is okay to feel this way. The next step is to become comfortable with yourself. Confinement can often be caused by our negative self-talk. When we are constantly putting ourselves down. It is difficult to feel good about ourselves and to want to socialize with others. It is important to start by being kind to yourself and accepting yourself for who you are. You need to have the self-confidence that you will be able to manage to be alone. Withdrawal does not mean that you are a bad person. Or that there is something wrong with you. It is simply an emotion that we all experience at some point in time.
Reaching Out To Others
After you have become comfortable with yourself, the next step is reaching out to others. This can be difficult, especially if you do not have many friends or if your friends live far away. One way to start connecting with others is by volunteering your time and talents. Where you can meet people who share similar interests. Volunteering also helps you learn new skills and it may cause some positive changes in the way you feel about yourself. You may even find that some of your volunteer activities turn into friendships! When we put ourselves out there and reach out, we never know what might happen.
Believing In Yourself
Loneliness has a way of making us believe lies about ourselves. Lies such as we are not good enough or that no one likes us. Seclusion makes us question whether our feelings matter or if what we think matters (Hawkley & Cacioppo, 2010).
Loneliness can make us feel like everyone else has a life together. While all we want is to have our life together. Solitariness can make you feel like a burden because you do not know how to interact with people.
The way everyone else does. Unpopularity also is managed by reaching out and connecting with others who experience similar emotions. Loneliness is important because it reminds us that we all need connections. And needs to reach out in order to have those connections. Ghettoization is something that we all experience, which means it is a universal emotion that many people can relate to.
Loneliness may show up differently for each person. But what loneliness has in common with everyone else is that it does not last forever. Retirement comes and then it goes, often when we meet someone new or when we put ourselves out there.
Conclusion
Loneliness is not a permanent condition and it can be managed by accepting loneliness. Becoming comfortable with yourself, and reaching out to others. Isolation is something that we all experience at some time in our lives. But it does not have to define who we are. We have the power to manage our loneliness and to connect with others.
Share with us your stories on how you managed and overcame loneliness.