How I fought the loneliness beast

Loneliness can be a beast! According to the surgeon general, it poses risks as serious as smoking a dozen cigarettes a day and doubling the risk for depression. The surgeon general currently declares a loneliness epidemic. 1 in 2 of us are feeling it. The gravity of this is not lost on me. In 2022 I felt lonely. Often. I moved out of a home I had lived in for over a decade and became an empty nester. All in the period of a few days. I went from having a lively, active home to one that was very quiet and still.

Even in a marriage or in a group, we can feel lonely. Perhaps these are times when we are most acutely aware that we are lonely. We are around people, but not feeling connected. I'm writing this post to share some of the things that I did to combat loneliness when I was feeling it. I hope that some of these ideas will benefit you when you feel lonely.

• Tell your friends and family. They may not know how you are feeling unless you tell them. Sharing this allows them to have greater compassion for you and more of an inclination to reach out to you.

• Help someone. Doing so will naturally involve some social interaction for you and provide practical benefits for others. A win-win.

• Plan something with other people that you can look forward to. That way, even when you are alone, you have something hopeful to think about.

• Join an activity that involves other people. Take a class, join a club, take up a sport, anything to get you out and amongst people. Then, make a point to introduce yourself to at least one person while you're there.

Click here to see a video about how I incorporated these ideas into my life so that loneliness didn't get the best of me.

If these tips aren't enough to manage your loneliness, reach out for mental health or physical health support. You are not alone.