We all feel lonely from time to time, especially if you’re use to being surrounded by a large family or a structured environment like school.
But for some, and we know you’re out there, the sense of isolation and loneliness comes a little too often.
When special holidays or events such as valentines day swing around, you can sometimes feel like it will never end and that you’ll be forever alone.
As difficult as it is, loneliness is something only YOU can control and manage.
There are 2 basic (we don’t mean to sound like we’re simplifying) types of loneliness.
Firstly, acute loneliness appears when you lose a significant person in your life or you’re moving away from a place you would consider a “safe” place or “home”. The other is, despite what you have in your life and those who surround you, you have a sense of loneliness, this is referred to as Chronic.
A 2016 Lifeline survey found that:
60% of the 3,100 respondents said they “Often feel lonely”.
82.5% said they felt loneliness was increasing in society.
A few more alarming factors?
53.38% said they had someone to confide in.
33.65% said they did not.
As our lives become progressively busier with work life, social media and phone, loneliness appears to be a by-product of this convenient lifestyle we seek.
If there was a simple quick fix, there would be no loneliness in our world. There are ways to manage it and here are some tips:
– Talk about your feelings! Bad at the whole feelings thing? Read our tips on feeling the feels to guide you to a happy place here.
– Discover a hobby! Think about what your interests are. Believe it or not, there is someone out there as the same interest as you! You could look into joining a relevant club.
– Animals! Dogs in particular can reduce stress, anxiety and depression, ease loneliness and gets you exercising!
– Keep a journal. Writing it down is not as satisfying as speaking to someone, speaking is the first step BUT writing about it can help you transition into a more positive mind set.
Read our tips on journaling here.
- Crisis support services can be reached 24 hours a day: Lifeline 13 11 14; Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467; Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800; MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78
Our Wellness Coach, Hollie Azzopardi is just the cheerleader you may need! You can contact her here.
Looking to clear out some bad energy and heal? Visit our in house reiki healer. To book:
Call: 02 8897 0077
Email: [email protected]
