As a 30(ish) woman living own her own, I think a lot about how to cope with loneliness.
The major conclusion? It’s not easy.
Loneliness terrifies me. I used to cry during the commercials for Meals on Wheels–the one where a telephone is ringing on the TV and an old woman thinks its in her apartment and gets so excited. The idea that I might want for company one day makes shaky tears come to my eyes almost immediately.
Today, this topic is on my mind for the saddest of reasons. I received news of a dear, old friend feeling so alone and depressed that they didn’t know where to turn. Loneliness lives in the roots of depression, tangled up with a mess of other complicated emotions that leave a person feeling lost and upside down.
If I’d spoken to my friend, I don’t know if I would have had a direction to offer in order to escape the maze of shadowy, solitary existence. I don’t know the answer to loneliness. I’m grateful every day for the wonderful relationships that keep the desperation of loneliness from leaking into the corners of my life. I hope for my friend that there is a similar kind of comfort waiting in the great beyond.
But in their honor, I put together some thoughts of how to cope with loneliness. Read on for my best thoughts.
How to Cope with Loneliness
-Make a list of people to reach out to. Contact one person a day.
-Go to a class or lecture. Make yourself talk to at least three people.
-Recognize that you will not connect immediately with every person you talk to. That’s okay. Talk to them anyway.
-Spend time outside of your home.
-Set up a weekly schedule that includes activities where other people are present
-If you ever feel like you might hurt yourself, get help. Call emergency services or a therapist in your area. No sad feeling can’t be conquered.
In loving memory of WS