How To Combat loneliness in Four Easy Steps
Loneliness and depression affect the body negatively.
Feeling lonely can make you anxious, depressed and perhaps even moody. Your mood affects your entire body, physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. An isolated life is a recipe for mental disaster because God did not make man to be alone but to have a help mate.
Strong social interactions are crucial to physical and mental stability. Negative health consequences of chronic isolation and loneliness, while harmful at any age are especially so for older adults. In the Perspective on Psychological Science study stated that the health effects of prolonged isolation are equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
People don’t have to be alone to be lonely. How many times have we heard a spouse say, “I’m lonely?” There are millions of lonely people in the midst of others crying for help but no one sees them or hears them even in churches. When someone has no sense of connection, loneliness prevails. Yet there are some people who are content being alone in this manner.
Studies have highlighted that loneliness can be combated with opportunities of social interactions and will have a positive impact on someone feeling lonely.
The science behind being lonely suggest that it is a crippling disease and one that reaches into far corners of our society. Many adults say they are either “always” or “often” lonely. Elderly people are more susceptible to being lonely due to healthy reasons and limited mobility that may prevents them from being as social as they would like.
Given this fact for the elderly, over the last twenty plus years, senior citizen centers are offering all sorts of classes and physical actives for the elderly to get them out of their homes and about. Also, transportation, private or public, are dispatched to assist senior citizen to go shopping or going on tours and various other events. These activities will greatly reduce the loneliness that many senior citizens are vulnerable to if left alone. On the other side of the coin, each are better off interacting with others and live a more fulfilled life.
Also, assisted living facilities have become another phenomenon to allow the elderly to be more involved and associated with others. In the not long ago past, many of them found themselves isolated, thereby suffering from illness that may have been partially related to loneliness.
One day, there was a man who used to sit on his patio every morning for years and look out at nature and then return inside. His neighbor became accustomed to his routine. One day, the man was siting on this patio and evidently no one had been there to visit him and was dead for days sitting there. This is truly sad!
According to a recent survey, in this country, Generation Z (18–22 year olds), say that they are lonely or say they are the loneliest. Loneliness breads health effects. Some loneliness can lead to suicide, and depression. Perhaps Gen Z is so consumed or born into technology and have lost her communicable skills. A thing cannot replace a person even though we sometimes think it does. Social media has it’s pluses but it also has some large minuses. All things in moderation.
In schools as a substitute teacher, I have often noticed that the kids depend so much on technology to a point that they prefer it over interacting with their peers. This is a recipe for future loneliness. If they don’t have an iPad in front of them, many seem lost and act out but once given an iPad, totally engrossed in it. What happens when they can’t get access to an iPad? Will they be lost or lonely?
Loneliness can damage your immune system, develop coronary heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and an increase onset of physical disability. Without interacting with others, cognitive decline may onset including trouble with remembering things and decreased learning ability. It is thought that people that are lonely are more like to develop dementia. It also raises their vulnerability to mental health illness like depression.
There are many things that one can do that are within reach to combat loneliness or being alone, not by choice. Each must make that first step.
4 Things You Can Do
Dealing with loneliness is an important skill that can improve one’s health and quality of life and eliminate and prevent illnesses brought on by loneliness.
1. Take the first step, get a support network. Find people of similar interest, church, center, or others that are within close proximity that may also be lonely. When you feel that others can relate to you and you them, you feel a sense of belonging and purpose. Also, seek out others who may be lonely and bond or help them and this would eliminate loneliness.
2. Take care of yourself through balance and priorities. A balanced life is a fulfilled life. Create a regimen for each day. Get up with a purpose. Taking care of one’s self is important. i.e. getting good sleep, eating healthy and controlling technological interactions for it can lead to more isolation. It has it’s place in time but should not be the end all of each day. Discover what makes you happy, hobbies, etc.
3. Remember that you don’t have to be alone, seek help from counselor perhaps through your medical plan or others’ recommendation. Discovering the source of your loneliness and depression will enable you to negate it.
4. Keep a positive outlook or change your perspective. Rather than viewing loneliness as a negative, see it as an advantage of solitude. Solitude isn’t necessarily negative — it’s the time for “me time,” a time to hone old skills or to discover and develop new skills or perhaps to do that one thing that procrastination stole away.
In conclusion, be intentional in creating meaningful friendships, investing the time necessary to be a good friend and finding the good in being alone at times. Sometimes, go out of your way to inquire and support others in your circle. See if they need assistance. This will get your mind off of you.
Also, consider volunteering to help others in your community or elsewhere. Serving others can be very rewarding. Invest your time and emotional energy into others and assisting them. Helping others is a powerful antidote to feelings that lead to isolation, depression and loneliness. Become capable of seeing our life in a different and more positive way.
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