Table of contents:
- What makes people lonely?
- The characteristics of a lonely person
- 1. Disrupted sleep, insomnia, or other sleep disturbances
- 2. Spend more time in the shower or bath
- 3. Love things more than people
- 4. “Friends” in cyberspace are more than real friends
- 5. Tends to get sick more often
Humans are social creatures. That is, each individual must need another individual to live his life. That is why, loneliness is a scourge for almost every individual. Some people may not find themselves lonely. In fact, this condition can be bad for mental health. What are the characteristics of a lonely person?
What makes people lonely?
Before knowing what are the characteristics of a lonely person, it is better if we first understand what kind of condition loneliness is.
In general, the definition of loneliness is being separated from the crowd or alone (not having friends). However, in truth, loneliness is a state of mind.
This condition causes a person to feel empty, alone, and to feel unwanted.
Lonely people often crave human contact. Unfortunately, it is their state of mind that makes it difficult to form connections with other people.
According to research conducted by Dr. John Cacioppo, Tiffany and Margaret Blake Special Services Lecturers, founder and director of the Center for Cognitive and Social Neuroscience at the University of Chicago, and one of the loneliness expert stated, loneliness is closely related to genetics.
Loneliness can also occur for several reasons. For example, you may feel lonely when:
- Change schools or work
- Work from home
- Move to a new city
- Break up or end a relationship
As you adjust to your new environment, feelings of loneliness may pass. However, in some cases, the loneliness sometimes persists.
It's not always easy to talk about this. Especially if you have trouble making friends, the more solitary you will feel.
The characteristics of a lonely person
Apparently, a person can feel lonely even when he is not aware of it. Some of the characteristics of a lonely person that you don't know about include:
1. Disrupted sleep, insomnia, or other sleep disturbances
According to research published in the journal Sleep, Loneliness can ruin your chances of getting enough rest when you sleep at night.
The journal's lead author, Lianne Kurina, PhD, said, "What we found is that loneliness does not increase the amount of sleep an individual has, but can wake them up more frequently during sleep."
2. Spend more time in the shower or bath
A psychologist and researcher at Yale University, Connecticut, named John Bargh, PhD, says, "The more lonely a person is, the more often they shower and bathe, using hotter water."
In the journal Emotion published in 2012, Bargh conducted a survey of 51 college students regarding their level of loneliness and daily habits.
From there, he concluded that some people take advantage of physical warmth as a substitute for social warmth.
Students who reported feeling more lonely also tended to spend more time taking warm baths.
3. Love things more than people
The next characteristic of a lonely person is when a person loves too much an object he has.
According to research published in Journal of Consumer Research, some people are crazy about inanimate objects because they are lonely.
Researchers refer to this phenomenon as "Material possession love" and maybe you've witnessed people who experience this condition firsthand.
When your neighbor calls his car "honey," or when a family member prides themselves on a certain collection of objects.
This is because these individuals do not socialize enough, then start spoiling their belongings.
4. “Friends” in cyberspace are more than real friends
According to Facebook, users spend an average of 50 minutes using the social media platform. This also includes the characteristics of a lonely person.
When you feel alone, you are more likely to spend time uploading on social media or other digital forums rather than chatting with friends over the phone or making meal plans or hanging out together.
5. Tends to get sick more often
Apart from showing health problems, illness can also be a sign of a lonely person. Loneliness has a systemic effect, allowing stress hormones to rise.
In fact, being part of the social sphere is biologically very important. Feeling lonely and disconnected or quitting socializing can affect your immunity.
