Facing loneliness is not a picnic. You can have everything in the world, but if you feel lonely, none of it seems very significant. I know a couple who wanted to buy a camp on the ocean. When they finally did, they were divorced and living apart. The beachfront property became a symbol of the couple’s lost love. . .
sat empty for years.
We often feel ashamed of feeling alone and blame ourselves for any relationships we may have had that went wrong. Then we get even more depressed. Chronic loneliness and social unhappiness affect people. But there are ways to beat the loneliness syndrome. Take it from me. . . I have been helping people do it for over 30 years.
If you need help coping with loneliness, this article will provide you with some proven tips, advice, and techniques that you can use to improve the quality of your life right now.
Advice:
Here are some simple and straightforward ideas on how you can curb loneliness and start feeling more involved in life.
1. Think positive thoughts.
Think logical, uplifting and possibility thoughts, even when you feel lonely, or when you miss someone or suffer the loss of a great relationship.What are the thoughts of possibility? Thoughts that focus on our possibilities, perhaps hidden, as opposed to thoughts that are based on the limitations of our situation.
Instead of thinking:
“I will never meet anyone!”
“My family hates me!”
“Nobody cares about me … Nobody has time for me.”
and similar self-destructive thoughts. . .
Try to have thoughts that make you feel more positive and optimistic. When faced with an obstacle, why not think, “If I look hard enough, I will find the silver lining in this cloud”?
If you’re out of work today and have no one to hang out with, you can always say to yourself, “Good. This is the perfect opportunity for me to turn the page … I think I’ll do something! It happens interesting! “
The art of happiness is often equated with the quality of the thoughts we think about.
2. Get busy (doing something constructive and hopefully fun)
Does your garage or kitchen need painting? Does the furniture need to be rearranged? Is it time to go down by the lake and visit antique stores or stop at the outdoor fruit and vegetable stalls? And when you find time to have fun. . . your relationships will benefit too.
Last weekend they had the annual Road kill cookoff in the mountains of rural West Virginia. The leaves were turning beautiful and there was a wonderful chill in the air. Many people came to taste the gourmet creations of the chefs.
Everyone had a great time!
Dealing with loneliness is much easier whenFind a local festival of some kind and see how much fun you can have. Go to an Octoberfest or Apple Festival, a wine tasting, or a maple syrup-making celebration. Read the local events portion of your newspaper and find out what’s on offer this weekend. Loneliness doesn’t have to stop you from having a good time.
In fact, you can have a good time despite being alone, if you take a positive approach and get involved in activities that will help you forget about your pain or sadness. Also, by having a good time, you will feel less lonely and depressed.
Random ideas to cope with loneliness
Here are several ways you can combat loneliness:
a) Go to college and think about taking some classes.
b) Go to a spa and let yourself be pampered.
c) Volunteer at your local animal shelter.
The art of happiness involves the willingness to try new things, to take risks every now and then, and to be more outgoing, even if you tend to be introverted.
Old habits can be discarded and new ones learned. Every problem has a solution waiting for you in its hands, And if loneliness is your problem, start looking for innovative approaches to the problem. You see, as a result of your loneliness, you could become more outgoing and enterprising. You could do new things in your effort to combat your feelings of loneliness.
Here it is a helpful hint: Do what you love.
If you love to fly kites with the kids, but haven’t gotten your hands on a kite in years, it might be time to buy a new kite and string and head to the nearest park. One of my clients said that he loved to play with model trains. So I encouraged him to dig up the train buried in a box in the basement and assemble it again.
We then decided that he would join the local train club, which allowed him to meet a lot of new people. Then he organized a train workshop for boy scouts. . .
which led to him becoming a boyscout leader. Another door opened. . . and it led him to discover both professional and personal partnerships and opportunities.
If you haven’t made time to do the simple things you love, it’s time to make time!Spend more time doing what you love and you will feel better! No apologies, please.
Happiness comes from many things, but in general, the happiest people are those who follow their hearts, stay connected to others, keep busy with worthwhile activities and jobs, and think optimistically and positively. The art of happiness is about making something happen.
3. Spend some time in nature.
My clients have found, over the years, that nature can be quite inspiring and healing. Spending time in nature can boost your emotional and spiritual life. It can offer healing in surprising ways.
One of the participants in a stress management workshop I presented approached me during the break and told me that she had been given a short time to live once she was diagnosed with cancer. He rented a cabin in the woods and spent his time in quiet meditation, allowing the peaceful and scenic energy of the mountains to restore his spirit. She was surprised to learn on her next visit to the doctor’s office that her cancer had gone into remission.
The woman stayed in the cabin and continued her relaxing and meditative lifestyle, and had kept her cancer at bay for another ten years, since our last conversation. He told me that he would continue to visit his cabin nestled in the quiet countryside, at every opportunity, for the rest of his life.
So, in short, you don’t have to give in to loneliness. . .
Just remember, you can beat loneliness syndrome by doing something different, being your friend, doing what you love, taking positive action, having encouraging thoughts, trying new activities, or doing something nice for someone.
Soon you will be on top of the world. . . or your favorite mountain, breathing in the refreshing fresh air!