7 Self-Care Tips For Loneliness

This article was developed via a partnership with BetterHelp.

Loneliness is a feeling that everyone is familiar with and has many causes. For example, people may feel lonely because everyone they know is busy or has moved away. Or perhaps they find that their friends are not as wonderful as they thought and need to change their social group. Or maybe for other reasons, they just find themselves without supportive people in their life. 

Loneliness has become an epidemic in recent years, so if you feel lonely, you are certainly not alone. But no matter the cause of your loneliness, the most important thing is to take care of yourself throughout this period. Read on for some great tips for self-care for coping with your loneliness. 

Create Boundaries With Social Media

Watching all your friends enjoy life on social media while you’re alone will only worsen your loneliness. It can make you feel like you’re missing out or that you are unworthy because you aren’t enjoying the same lifestyle that they are. 

But this isn’t true. Social media provides a warped reality where everyone seems to have a better life than you. People rarely post about their pain or downtimes, as they may be more interested in showing a more positive and fun image to their audience. This phenomenon can make it seem like everyone is having the time of their lives while you’re stuck at home alone for the weekend with no plans. 

But it can be hard to remember this when you are lonely or depressed. Therefore, it’s crucial to create some boundaries with social media at this time or turn it off altogether. This way, you won’t be tempted to compare your life to others, and you can spend more time and energy caring for yourself. 

Hang Out With Yourself

Do you normally overwhelm yourself with responsibilities? Or perhaps you are typically surrounded by people, so you don’t take time for yourself? If this is the case, you may be able to utilize your alone time to reconnect with and have fun with yourself. 

Despite popular opinion, you don’t need other people to have a good time. Your alone time can be an excellent opportunity to learn a new hobby, find a new show, or catch up on that book you started months ago. Loneliness often occurs when we feel like we are missing out on something. But if you take the time for a new hobby or activity, you won’t feel like you are missing out at all. 

Get Some Fresh Air

Nothing lifts the spirits like a bit of fresh air. Walking in nature and enjoying the beautiful sky and wildlife can pick anyone up from their low spirits. It’s hard to remain lonely when you are surrounded by the wonders of life. 

Take Care Of Your Body

Mental health is often linked to physical health. Therefore, if one is not doing so well, then the other will struggle too. 

Therefore, you may find that your sense of loneliness eases just by taking care of your physical body. Make sure to eat nutritious food and avoid caffeine and alcohol. Also, get some exercise to release those endorphins and make sure to sleep well at night. Just these simple actions can do wonders for your mental health and may make you feel less lonely. 

Be Creative

Being alone provides you with a great opportunity to tap into your creative side. For example, have you wanted to take up painting? Or maybe you want to start cooking more. Or perhaps you have a great book idea. Chances are that there is some sort of creative hobby that you’ve been eager to try out, so why not do it now that you have some alone time?

What’s even more important is that many creative hobbies serve as great outlets for your emotions. What better way to express your loneliness, pain, or disappointment through your art? Art can convey emotions so much better than a conversation and may even provide you with a sense of fulfillment and healing that eases your loneliness.  

Connect Online

If you are lonely because you are separated from your friends and family, then you can still connect with them online. Sure, it’s not the same as being in person, but you still get to catch up with them and keep those relationships strong. 

Or, you can also meet potential new friends by joining online groups that have the same hobbies or interests as you. Though you won’t be connecting in person, you can still develop great connections that will give you a sense of belonging. 

Talk With A Therapist

If you’ve made some great lifestyle changes and still feel lonely, then you may need to find someone to talk to about those feelings. A therapist can help you work through your loneliness and find strategies that help you create a good quality of life and feel less lonely. Furthermore, just talking to someone may ease your loneliness and contribute to the sense of peace that you crave. 

Final Thoughts On Loneliness

We all need human connection to thrive. Though some alone time can be good for the soul, long periods of loneliness and isolation can be painful. However, with some self-care and love, you can ease your loneliness and find joy in life again. If you are looking for more tips and guidance on coping with loneliness, you can find some great resources at BetterHelp.