No matter how much you might say you don’t like people or how introverted you feel, the fact is that humans are actually very social creatures.
Without plenty of interaction, you can become very lonely, and when that happens, it can affect your mental health and, in some cases, your physical health (blood pressure can rise due to stress, for example).
There are a number of ways to combat loneliness, and it’s a good idea to know what they are so that if you start to feel alone, you can do something about it, but why is loneliness on the rise in the first place? Read on to find out more.
Social Media
It might sound strange to say that social media is making people lonely – after all, the very name suggests that it is a social activity – but it is true.
There are various reasons why this might be, and one of those reasons is that the more time people spend on social media, the less time they have for real-life interactions.
Or perhaps you are seeing posts from people describing a family day out or an event or party they went to, and that makes you feel lonely because you didn’t get to do anything similar.
Whatever the reason, it’s a good idea to limit your use of social media. Perhaps you could use it for a few minutes in the morning and evening to check in with friends, but otherwise, try not to use it at all.
Fill your time with other things that mean you connect with people in real life. This could be a Secret Tantric massage in London, for example, or you might take up a hobby with all the spare time you’ll have because you’re not using social media.
Remote Working
Many businesses these days are offering remote work to their employees, and this is generally a good thing.
It offers people a much better work-life balance, and it’s even good for the environment because there are fewer cars on the road. However, there is a downside to remote working, and that’s loneliness.
When you are working from home, you may not interact with anyone face-to-face for days at a time. You might not even speak to anyone if you are working flexibly and only need to report in when your deadline is due. This can all take a toll and make you feel much lonelier.
Because your work-life balance will be better, make sure you take up a hobby as we mentioned above. Another option is to join a class to enhance your skills and meet people at the same time.
Alternatively, if you feel that remote working is not good for you, you could think about finding a new job that offers an office-based role or at least gives you the option of hybrid working.
We Live Further Apart
A lot of people find they are priced out of the area in which they grew up, and they have to move further away in order to afford a mortgage or rent payments.
This means that you’ll be moving away from the places and people you have known potentially for your whole life, not to mention your family.
Although some people thrive when given this chance, for others, it’s the worst thing, and they will feel very lonely because of it. If you do feel lonely because you live far away, make it a priority to chat with your loved ones every day and visit as much as you can.
