Table of contents:
- 1. Be honest with yourself
- 2. Realize that loneliness can be resisted
- 3. Make a plan to fight loneliness
- 4. Take care of pets
- 5. Limit your use of social media
Almost all humans have felt lonely. It turns out that excessive and prolonged loneliness will affect the health of the body. Therefore, you must be good at finding ways to deal with loneliness and live a more optimistic life. But what is the best way to deal with loneliness? Here are the tips.
1. Be honest with yourself
Many people instinctively try to escape loneliness. Some people deny that they are lonely and try to divert it by sleeping all day, watching TV, and a whole host of other things. Keeping busy without accepting that you really feel lonely is not going to work. It might work, but only for a moment, not as a long-term solution.
The emptiness you feel will continue to penetrate the deepest recesses of your heart if you keep running and denying it. A study written by Ami Rokach states that acceptance and self-reflection is one way to change the negative effects of loneliness into something more positive.
What needs to be reflected in order to overcome loneliness? Among these are the reasons you feel lonely, for example because the people around you seem very happy and busy, while you are feeling down. Then, also find out what situations or times of day typically trigger feelings of loneliness. For example, when you come home from school, college, or work and no one welcomes you.
From there, you will learn to improve your outlook on your life and gradually get rid of loneliness from within.
2. Realize that loneliness can be resisted
When you feel lonely, this is a sign that something triggers your memory of painful, scary, and empty feelings that make you feel alone. The brain is designed to pay attention to pain and danger, including feelings of fear and pain. Therefore, when you feel lonely, your brain sends out signals that make it dominate your feelings.
However, you should immediately realize that loneliness is basically an emotional state that actually arises from within you based on your own perceptions. You can fight loneliness, don't just wait until things improve on their own.
3. Make a plan to fight loneliness
Once you have accepted and realized everything about the loneliness that you are experiencing, it is time to make a plan to fight and overcome the loneliness.
Sometimes the cure for loneliness is simple. For example, sitting back with your mother while drinking tea and chatting about your worries and worries at this time. Even if you see family members every day, maybe what you need is some quality time together, without distraction at all, to get rid of loneliness.
If the people closest to you are not supportive, try to "spread your wings". For example, by joining a new community, taking skills courses so they can meet new people, orconfidewith a therapist.
4. Take care of pets
Some studies suggest that pets can make great companions for loners. A study conducted found that raising a dog can help a person reduce the risk of premature death, especially in people who live alone. Individuals who live alone are the group of people most at risk of experiencing loneliness which can lead to certain health problems.
In addition, other research also states that pet owners have better social and communication skills. Besides that, he is also more actively involved in activities in the community. A 2016 study also revealed that older adults caring for pets experienced reduced depression and improved cognitive function within 8 weeks of starting the experiment.
However, also pay attention to your capacity. Do not carelessly adopt or raise animals for entertainment. You also have to take care of him, raise, feed and provide for all of your pet's needs.
5. Limit your use of social media
A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that using social media actually makes you feel more lonely. Social media creates the impression that you are in a relationship, but it's actually quite the opposite.
In the book Alone Together, social psychologist Sherry Turkle argues that hyperconnectivity through social media makes people more isolated from each other in real life. Helena Backlund Wasling from the State University of New York Upstate Medical University in Sycaruse stated that direct and face-to-face contact is much better than contact on social media because basically humans need physical touch to feel entertained and connected.
