Have you recently relocated to a new city? Are you seeking to establish new friendships? Here are ways how to make friends in a new city!
How To Make Friends In A New City
Shared Interests
Having shared interests is the key to making friends. These include your hobbies, skills, and passions.
Meetup Groups
When you move to a new city, you can make friends using the Meetup app or website. You can find groups that fit your interests and even discover groups that attend significant events on Meetup.
Facebook Groups
Facebook groups offer another effective means of connecting with people.. Search for Facebook groups within your city that revolve around a particular interest.
After you join the group and engage with its members, message people who often like and comment on your posts.
Nextdoor
You can search for neighborhood and local events using Nextdoor. Nextdoor, an app and website, allows neighbors to talk, connect, and find events in their town. It is a great way to meet and talk to your new neighbors!
Bars
You can visit the city’s bars. You can converse about your mutual interests over a beer or cocktail, watch sports, or attend local events with someone at a bar.
Two best friends I know met at a local bar. They are now lifelong friends.
Restaurants
Find a local restaurant that sounds delicious to you online. Go to the restaurant and order a meal at the bar. A restaurant focuses more on food than drinks. You can start a conversation at the restaurant’s bar.
Church
You can attend church or another spiritual gathering. Look up local churches or spiritual events in your city. Join church groups and find events that the church is organizing.
Political Events
Joining a political campaign or organization allows you to connect with people with similar political interests and values. They are taking action to help a political candidate or party. It is a way to make friends who love politics.
Sporting Events
Major cities have a sports team you can support.
Going to live sporting events, cheering, and talking to sports fans is another way you can make friends. You can also cheer on the team at a local sports bar.
You can meet people who share an interest in sports and sports teams.
Local Events
You can discover local events in your new town or city online. Farmers’ markets, fairs, and food events may be available in the city.
Concerts
Attending local and major city concerts is another way to meet people. Listen to local musicians playing at bars while conversing with someone at the bar. Talk to concertgoers when attending your favorite artist’s live concert.
Gym
Make friends when you go to the gym. Never interrupt someone while they are exercising or working out. When someone says hi to you, make sure to say hi back. Start a conversation with someone when you leave the gym or at the end of a gym class.
Related – 7 Types Of Self-Investment
Public Events
You can go to public events in the city. These include council meetings, local elections, and discussions at the public library. Engaging with your city’s public events allows you to meet others who want to better their community.
Networking Events
Attending networking events in your new city to meet other professionals. Networking and making professional connections can present opportunities to you—network with people in your field.
If you are looking for a job in the city, networking could help you find a referral to a new company.
Parks
Parks are a great place to meet new people, whether you have a dog or a child or walking or running. Some parks have food vendors and public events available to the public. You may meet a new friend while walking around the park or trying food from a local food truck.
Summary
You can make friends in a new city. You can start conversing with someone at a bar, restaurant, or local event. Stop allowing fear to prevent you from making friends. You make friends by beginning a conversation with someone in the new city!
What are other ways you can meet people after moving to a new city? Let me know in the comments below!
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment, financial, or legal advice. Consult with a financial or legal professional before making an investment or legal decision. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). It is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.
There are many reasons for the connection between autism and social isolation. A large part has to do with society and people’s expectations. People enjoy outgoing and charismatic people more than solemn and thoughtful people. Autistic people are most often in the second camp because of verbal and nonverbal communication issues. Autistic individuals eventually learn to become comfortable being outsiders and maximize their time in solitude. to work on their projects. They learn to accept that they can’t fit in with society. There are five primary causes of autism and social isolation.
Autism And Social Isolation
What Is Autism?
According to Autism Research Institute, “Autism is a developmental disorder with symptoms that appear within the first three years of life. Its formal diagnostic name is autism spectrum disorder. The word ‘spectrum’ indicates that autism appears in different forms with varying levels of severity. That means that each individual with autism experiences their own unique strengths, symptoms, and challenges.”
The Autism Spectrum
There is a range of autism. Some autistic individuals who are high functioning may be able to pass by people on the surface until they get into a conversation with someone. On the other end of the spectrum are autistic individuals who cannot fully function. They need other people’s help and assistance with daily tasks. They may hurt themselves by banging themselves or hitting themselves. There are yet others who are somewhere in the middle of this spectrum.
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15 Common Signs Of Autism
There are things that you can look out for to identify autism. The main symptoms of autism relate to verbal and non-verbal communication. There are fifteen common signs of autism:
- Reduced eye contact
- Differences in body language or lack of body language
- Lack of facial expressions
- Lack of eye contact
- Lack of nonverbal communication
- Not engaging in imaginative play
- Repeating gestures or sounds
- Repeating routines
- Repetitive behaviors
- Ritualistic behaviors
- Tone of voice
- Pragmatic language
- Self-injury
- Closely focused interests
- Indifference to temperature extremes
4 Ways How Autistic Individuals Become Social Outcasts
Autistic individuals will usually become social outcasts. They lack the acceptable soft and social skills that are needed to gain approval from people and society. There are four ways how autistic individuals become social outcasts in society.
Society’s Focus On Soft Skills
There is an overemphasis on soft skills in society and by people. These are the very skills that autistic individuals lack. To succeed in life, they must find ways to deal with this enduring social expectation while trying to navigate as a social pariah in society. They eventually learn to become comfortable as social outcasts and spend time alone.
Society’s Expectation
Society is built around extroverts. It favors extroversion personalities. That is why you see people often gushing over celebrities, politicians, or well-known influencers. These people can understand emotions and manipulate them to their advantage. Since they can connect with people on an emotional level, people think that they are just like them, so they must be nice. These people must care about them. Autistic individuals may eventually learn to see through the facade of nice-sounding words, charisma, and good looks because it is part of a world that is alien to them. They learn to overlook society’s expectations and to embrace being society’s black sheep.
People’s Expectations
People often have those same emotions. People prefer extroverted and outgoing people to introverts. This is because most people think that what society says is the best way. People like to go along with the crowd and fit in. They want to please their friends or co-workers. People often focus on external validation. External validation comes from relationships and getting others’ approval of you. Autistic individuals learn that they can’t meet people’s social expectations, so they would rather spend time alone.
Related – 20 Ways How To Deal With Depression And Loneliness
Social Outcasts
Since autistic people lack the social skills and charisma to excite people, they often experience being outcasts. They cannot go along with the crowd because they stick out, even if they try to fit in. Eventually, autistic individuals learn that society and how the system is built are not for them. They must find their way to make do in a culture that highly values the things that autistic people lack. This may result in autistic individuals learning to enjoy spending time in solitude which society frowns upon.
Related – The Loneliness Epidemic and Social Media Paradox
5 Causes Of Autism And Social Isolation
Several factors can drive autistic individuals into self-isolation. Five causes contribute to autism and social isolation.
Poor Social Skills
Autistic individuals usually have poor social skills, a lack of nonverbal communication, and an inability to read body language; many may end up in social isolation. This is because it takes too much effort or is impossible to communicate verbally and non-verbally with people. This leads to many autistic individuals ending up in social isolation. It is easier for them not to deal with people who expect them to have a range of emotions and to be able to communicate those emotions or feelings to others fully.
Poor Verbal Communication
Autistic people may spend more time alone or experience social isolation for many reasons. It may not be worth the time to work to improve non-verbal communication skills because it does not make a difference. They can only marginally improve so much, but still, they stand out to people for their inability to read non-verbal’s. They will also stand out to others because of their monotone voice. They have difficulty fluctuating and changing the range of their voice to show a range of emotions or to stress particular points in verbal communication. As a result of these everyday problems, they may eventually stop trying to improve these soft skills that society places a premium on in their professional and daily life.
Poor Nonverbal Communication
This leads them to end up socially isolated. Instead, they would focus on their interests rather than deal with other people’s expectations that they know they cannot meet. Instead, they would find ways to become the best at that one interest rather than deal with others. Since they do not have the required verbal and social skills that society and employers expect, they have a higher unemployment rate. According to Good Autism School, “up to 70% of approximately 6 million adults with autism in the USA are struggling with unemployment or underemployment.”
Difficulty With Relationships
As a result of often having poor communication and non-verbal skills, autistic individuals have difficulty with relationships. This makes it difficult to make and maintain relationships. Autistic individuals have a hard time with relationships, be it with family to romantic relationships, because they come across as cold due to their monotone voice and poor non-verbal skills. Nonverbal body language accounts for 60% to 65% of communication. People place a premium on soft skills instead of the delivered information. Those are the very things autistic individuals have the most difficulty with, directly affecting their relationships.
Always Being In Their Heads
Autistic individuals often experience being in their heads. This means that their brain is always running. It seems never to stop. It can get even worse if they experience sensory overload from sounds or visuals. Since people are expected to have good soft skills, the interaction with people that autistic individuals lack may replay those interactions in their minds for what they should have done. These types of things make autistic individuals always live in their heads. The mind will run non-stop twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and three hundred sixty-five days a year. It never stops.
Autism And Solitude
Despite being socially isolated, many autistic individuals may learn to enjoy spending their time alone. What most people think of as scary or not normal, autistic people can learn to enjoy spending their time alone in solitude. They can use solitude to take advantage of the autistic symptoms by focusing and working on an interest in creative ways. Autistic individuals can spend time in solitude to master a skill and craft. They can be highly productive once they learn to utilize time management strategies to focus solely on a project. Autism, when appropriately managed, can become a superpower!
Related – What Is The Difference? Solitude Versus Loneliness
Conclusion
Social isolation is often thought of as a bad thing. The flip side of isolation is solitude. It is ultimately a matter of perspective and how someone views spending time alone. Autistic individuals have difficulty maintaining relationships because they lack the non-verbal and soft skills that people expect in social situations. For these reasons, they may enjoy spending time in solitude working on their projects because they don’t have to deal with people and society.
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
Introduction
Depression and loneliness are a deadly combination. Loneliness is a growing issue as more people live alone. According to health insurance companies, there has also been a rise in major depression for Americans. The overlap between depression and loneliness contributes to social isolation. Loneliness and depression are growing problems that people deal with in their lives. Here are twenty ways how you can practically deal with depression and loneliness.
Depression and Loneliness
What Is Depression?
According to the Mayo Clinic, depression is a “mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness or loss of interest. Also called a major depressive disorder or clinical depression, it affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to various emotional and physical problems.” Depression can make it difficult for you to function and do day-to-day activities and tasks. At its worst, depression can make you feel that life is not worth living.
There are different types of depression. One is short-term depression which will last only for a brief period. You may then never experience it again. The second is situational depression. You may share this when you move and don’t know anyone or are afraid of your big move. The final type of depression is long-term depression. Long-term depression is when you will have to deal with depression throughout your life.
As some people may call it, a person cannot just get out of depression or snap out of it. Depression is more than being sad or having the blues. If you experience depression, you may want to consider seeking out long-term treatment. People with depression will often discover that they will feel better with therapy, medication, or doing both to deal with their depression. Another way is to find ways to stay busy to take your mind off your depression by finding things you enjoy doing with your time.
Related Article: Know Your Enemy: Depression
6 Different Types of Common Depression
From my own experience, depression can also come from people not thinking they have a purpose for their life, so they go into cycles of depression. These cycles of depression could come from not meeting the goals you set for yourself, having trouble finding a job, and being unemployed. Or even being underemployed. Depression can make you feel and think that you don’t matter or that you are unable to contribute to society, which makes you think, “what is the point?” Or, “why am I here?” These thoughts then lead to a cycle of depression.
According to Harvard Health Publishing, there are six common depression types. Four types of depression affect both men and women, while two kinds of depression are specific to women. Major depression is when you lose interest in activities you once enjoyed and become consumed by a malignant dark mood. Persistent depressive disorder is a low mood depression that lasts for at least two years without reaching the intensity of major depression. Bipolar disorder is when someone experiences episodes of depression. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a seasonal depression that starts as the days get shorter in the fall and winter months.
Two types of depression are unique to women. Women are at risk of experiencing perinatal depression and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) because women’s reproductive hormones influence these two types of depression. Perinatal depression, or postpartum depression, is a depression that has minor and major depressive episodes during pregnancy or the first twelve months of delivery for women. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a severe form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), which symptoms start after ovulation and at the start of menstruation.
Depression Symptoms
Since there are various types of depression, people could experience it once or throughout their lives. During the depression, there are symptoms of depression that will occur for most of the day. According to the Mayo Clinic, the symptoms of depression that you may experience during the day with depression include:
- Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness, or hopelessness
- Angry outbursts, irritability or frustration, even over small matters
- Loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities, such as sex, hobbies, or sports
- Sleep disturbances, including insomnia or sleeping too much
- Tiredness and lack of energy, so even small tasks take extra effort
- Reduced appetite and weight loss or increased cravings for food and weight gain
- Anxiety, agitation, or restlessness
- Slowed thinking, speaking, or body movements
- Feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or self-blame
- Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions, and remembering things
- Frequent or recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, or suicide
- Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches
For some people who deal with depression, the symptoms of depression can affect their daily lives. The symptoms covered below can make someone have problems performing day-to-day activities and tasks, such as studying for school, attending social events, and their relationships with friends and family. Depression can also make someone not want to
Along with these symptoms, depression can also cause other mental disorders. According to the Mayo Clinic, these are other disorders that depression can cause:
- Bipolar I and II disorders: Bipolar disorders are mood swings that range from highs (mania) mood swings that range from highs (mania) to lows (depression). It’s sometimes difficult to distinguish between bipolar disorder and depression.
- Cyclothymic disorder: The cyclothymic disorder involves highs and lows that are milder than those of bipolar disorder.
- Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder: This mood disorder includes chronic and severe irritability and anger with frequent extreme temper outbursts in children. This disorder typically develops into depressive disorder or anxiety disorder during the teen years or adulthood.
- Persistent depressive disorder: Sometimes called dysthymia (dis-THIE-me-uh), this is a less severe but more chronic form of depression. While it’s usually not disabling, the persistent depressive disorder can prevent you from functioning normally in your daily routine and living life to its fullest.
- Premenstrual dysphoric disorder: This involves depression symptoms associated with hormone changes that begin a week before and improve within a few days after the onset of your period and are minimal or gone after completion of your period.
- Other depression disorders: This includes depression that’s caused by the use of recreational drugs, some prescribed medications, or another medical condition.
Related Article: Depression in Ageing Singles: 5 Steps for Aging Singles to Apply in Their Daily Life to Thrive in Midlife as a Single Person
Drivers of Depression
There are a few main drivers of depression in people’s lives. For Millennials, depression has been blamed on social media, debt, and the economy. The Millennials came up age during a transition point in the economy. Yet, during this transition from the physical economy to the online digital economy resulting from the Dot Com Boom, they were encouraged to go to college. Career counselors and parents believed that to be the only way to succeed. By going to college, Millennials went into debt only to discover that after they graduated and could only get an entry-level job dead-end job where they could never work their way up in a company. While depression is a mental health problem, depression can also be caused by not having financial stability.
Many Millennials are depressed because they were sold a lie about college. They struggle to make ends meet due to college debt, working gig jobs, rising living costs in the United States, and now inflation with no financial stability. Being sold a lie about college and America’s poor economy forces Millennials to find new ways to make ends meet, which previous generations did not understand. This has led Millennials to take part in The Great Resignation. Since Millennials are not economically and financially secure, which are significant factors contributing to self-confidence and well-being, many have become depressed.
Related Article: 30 Reasons For The Great Resignation
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What Is Loneliness?
Loneliness is the distressing feeling of being alone or separated. Loneliness is the state of distress or discomfort that results from a gap between one’s desires for social connection and actual experiences. Loneliness is isolation when you have no friends or a community in your life, creating a feeling of sadness. However, it is vital to point out that you can live by yourself without feeling lonely. More people are experiencing the emotions associated with loneliness and experiencing a gap between what they currently have and what they want to have in their social life. Loneliness is also a state of mind.
Related article: What Is The Difference? Solitude Versus Tyranny
The Loneliness Epidemic
Key Point: [bctt tweet=”The Loneliness Epidemic is a growing problem in the United States and worldwide.” via=”no”]
Loneliness is the cause of the loneliness epidemic. There is a difference between solitude and loneliness. More people experiencing loneliness create the loneliness epidemic.
There are two critical reasons for the rise in loneliness today. The atomization of people has led to increased social isolation and loneliness. Social media is also a problem. Those are two recent components of a society that have made people more isolated and less involved in their communities. People rarely know their neighbors today compared to previous generations. Social media has helped drive the loneliness epidemic as people spend more time on their screens rather than interacting with people in real life. There are also health consequences that come from loneliness. The other reason is the atomization of people, which results from people becoming more divided today.
Related Article: The Ultimate Guide for How to Host a Housewarming Party
Health Effects Of Loneliness
Key Point: [bctt tweet=”Loneliness can be as dangerous to your health as obesity and smoking.” via=”no”]
Loneliness can negatively affect your health. Loneliness can result in depression or early death. It can be as harmful to your health as smoking or being obese. Depression and anxiety are two common mental health issues resulting from loneliness.
According to the CDC and studies done by the National Academy of Sciences, risks from loneliness and social isolation include the following:
• Social isolation significantly increases a person’s risk of premature death from all causes. This risk may rival those of smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity.
• Social isolation was associated with about a 50% percent increased risk of dementia.
• Poor social relationships (characterized by social isolation or loneliness) were associated with a 29% increased risk of heart disease and a 32% increased risk of stroke.
• Loneliness was associated with higher depression, anxiety, and suicide rates.
• Loneliness among heart failure patients was associated with a nearly four times increased risk of death, 68% increased risk of hospitalization, and 57% increased risk of emergency department visits.
Overlap Between Depression And Loneliness
There are overlaps in the negative health consequences resulting from depression and loneliness. Here is a shortlist of the similarities between depression and loneliness. Loneliness can lead to depression. Loneliness and depression both contribute to anxiety. Depression and loneliness both can lead to suicide. Loneliness and depression can both affect your social life. Depression and loneliness can also affect your ability to be active and exercise.
Related Article: The Loneliness Epidemic and the Social Media Paradox
How Can You Deal With Depression And Loneliness?
Key Point: [bctt tweet=”There are strategies that you can implement in your life to deal with depression and loneliness.” via=”no”]
There are many ways how you can deal with depression and loneliness. It will require you to work on your mental health and become social with people. This can be difficult to do depending on the type of depression you may have. Being social is also a vital solution to solving depression and loneliness. Below are twenty ways how you can deal with depression and loneliness.
20 Ways How To Deal With Depression and Loneliness
Make A Plan
Make a plan for how you will deal with your depression and loneliness. There are many different ways how you can deal with depression and loneliness. The main methods are to focus on your health and relationships and work on yourself. When you have a strategy for dealing with your depression or loneliness, you will have set a standard for yourself that you want to meet in your life.
Take Action
After you plan, you can start to do something about it by acting on your strategy. Action is better than inaction. It may be as simple as saying that you will get out of your bed and open up all the blinds in your house or apartment for depression. For loneliness, an example could be that I will talk to one person for a couple of minutes when I go to a social event.
Exercise
Another way is to exercise. Plan how many times you want to go to the gym a week. This will help you get more fit while regularly seeing people going to the gym. You can plan how often you want to go to the gym to work towards your fitness goals—the combination of exercise and seeing people will help with depression.
Diet
Along with exercise, diet is also essential to improve your mental health. A diet helps you to eat healthier food. When you practice a diet, it will help you to develop self-discipline. This is because you are setting a goal for yourself of what you want to accomplish. You can choose from many diets, with popular diets like the Mediterranean, Keto, Carnivore, French, and Vegan diets.
Go Outside
Instead of staying inside all the time, go outside. You can take a walk around your neighborhood. You could also go on a hike. It is healthy to get out of your house. This will help you get vitamin d from the sun while also seeing and interacting with people.
Mental Health
Depression is a mental health issue. Loneliness can lead to depression and unhealthy habits. For this reason, focus on your mental health. This will better help you to find ways to deal with depression. When you start to focus more on your mental health, you can improve your well-being and productivity.
Meditation
Meditation is a way that you can work to improve your mental health. Meditation helps with stress relief. It also will help to improve your attention and train your thoughts. Meditation can help to develop self-discipline because you are making time in your day to sit down and focus on your ideas for some time. Meditation can also help you to improve your emotional regulation. Meditation can also help you to improve your sleep.
Rest And Sleep
It is also essential to get enough rest and sleep. According to the Sleep Foundation, “growing evidence now suggests that poor sleep may induce or exacerbate depression” You can work to improve your sleep by having a bedtime to set yourself a sleep cycle. Another way is not to have caffeine, alcohol, or tobacco in the evening since they can affect your ability to get a good night’s rest. Another way to improve the quality of your sleep is to take melatonin before bed. You can find melatonin in liquid and capsule form, and you take melatonin about thirty minutes before bed.
Develop Coping Skills
You can also work to develop coping skills. There are unhealthy coping skills such as blaming other people, self-harm, comfort eating and using alcohol and drugs as a way for you to not deal with your emotions or problems. Healthy coping mechanisms distract yourself with healthy activities like exercise or getting outside, journaling, talking to a friend, venting your feelings, changing your mindset, and switching from negative to positive thinking. When you transition from negative to positive coping skills, you will become more productive in your life and feel better overall.
Positive Outlook On Life
Change from a negative outlook on life to a positive outlook on life. Your mindset and how you think about life directly affect your outlook on life. Negative thinking patterns will keep you trapped in negative thinking. You will continue to blame others for where you are in life instead of learning to take responsibility by working to overcome negative thinking and a fixed mindset. The alternative to negative thinking is positive thinking. Another option for a fixed mindset is a growth mindset. When you acquire positive thinking and a growth mindset in your life, you will discover that you will be better able to achieve your goals and be happier.
Time Management
Time management is another skill to learn. As you start to manage your time better, you will keep yourself busy throughout your day. If you are looking to work your time during your day better, there are productivity tools that you can use on your computer or near you to help you manage your time.
There are two productivity tools that I recommend that I ordered from Etsy. APKhome makes a dry-erase acrylic to-do list with a matching daily planner. UsefulPlanner makes a variety of time management pdf documents that you can use on your computer or print out. I recommend UsefulPlanner’s ADHD planner bundle for adults. If you are a small business owner, UsefulPlanner also makes a small business planner binder.
Church
You can go to church or whatever religious organization or beliefs you may have. This will help you to get out of your house and meet like-minded people in your community who share similar values as you. You will also find groups where you can be a part of your church. It could be a young adult group to a book club. A church, or what religious organization you may be a part of, is another way for you to meet like-minded people in your community.
Pets
Another good way to not be depressed or lonely is to have a pet. A dog, cat, or another type of animal gives you something you are responsible for in your life. Pets are beneficial to mental health. Pets can improve your mental health by making your feel less lonely, increase your sense of self-esteem and well-being, decrease stress, and give you unconditional love.
Related Article: 7 Reasons Why Singles Need To Have Pets And Why Pets Are Better Than A Significant Other
Stay In Touch With People
You can stay in touch with people in your life. It could be as simple as sending a text message to a friend or family member, asking how they are doing, and letting them know that you are doing all right. Some basic ways to stay in touch with people in your life are to send a text message, social media message, or email friends or family. You can also meet a friend for coffee or invite friends to your apartment or house.
Related Article: Friends Are The Family You Choose (Even If You Don’t Stay In Touch With A Friend)
Friends
While pets are good, friends are even better! Friends can help you deal with depression and loneliness. Unlike pets, people can talk to you. People also understand emotions. You can also meet with a friend to get coffee or your favorite place to talk about what is on your mind. Social connection is a critical part of human nature. If you have a best friend or a couple of friends you can talk to, consider yourself lucky.
Related Article: 3 Ways Singles Can Have Amazing Relationships With Their Friends In Daily Life
Family
Along with friends, spending time with your family can be a way to deal with depression and loneliness. You grew up with your family, familiar with your siblings and parents. No family is perfect, but they are related to you. You can get together with your family or spend more time socializing with them. If you live near your family, you could get together with them weekly or once a month to socialize with your parents or siblings.
Community
Humans are social creatures. As social creatures, being social is essential for your mental health. There are many different ways how you can find a community. You can go to a Meetup group in your area. You could go to a coffee shop. You could go to a bar or restaurant you want to visit. You could find local events in your area around your interests. You can also volunteer. These are just a few ways to get involved with your community.
Set Realistic Standards For Yourself
When it comes to depression and loneliness, it is critical to set realistic standards for yourself. These practical standards will challenge you to find ways to work on dealing with depression or loneliness. It could be something as simple as getting sunshine so that you don’t stay inside your house. As you begin to feel better, you can raise your standards to meet the goals you want to complete. But as with anything, start small as getting a little sunshine or smiling more often during your day.
Goals
Another way is to work to make goals for yourself. When you set goals for yourself, you have things you are working towards in life. Goals will give reasons to get up in the morning when you may be depressed or feel lonely. A simple goal could be getting up in the morning and leaving your house. You can also set goals for yourself that you want to work to achieve in your life.
Therapy
The final way is to consider seeing a therapist. A therapist is a professional who can help you deal with your depression. A therapist could also give you strategies to get out and meet people to deal with loneliness. There are various types of therapy to help you deal with depression, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Light Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). You can also learn to practice self-care strategies like leaving your house, talking to friends or family, exercising, or seeing a therapist.
Related Article: 5 Reasons Why Singles Need Therapy In Today’s Modern World
Conclusion
There are similarities and overlaps between depression and loneliness. Both can contribute to mental health problems and prevent you from wanting to interact with people. You have many ways to deal with depression and loneliness, from getting a pet, spending time with friends and family, or seeing a therapist.
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
The loneliness epidemic is a growing problem. Over the last five decades, two significant changes have contributed to the loneliness epidemic. They are atomization and social media. You can experience loneliness whether you are single or married. Here is a look at the loneliness epidemic and how atomization and social media increases social isolation today.
The Loneliness Epidemic and Social Media Paradox
Loneliness Epidemic
Loneliness is the cause of the loneliness epidemic. Loneliness is the distressing feeling of being alone or separated. Loneliness is distress or discomfort resulting from a gap between one’s desires for social connection and actual experiences. Loneliness is isolation when you have no friends or a community, creating a feeling of sadness.
However, it is vital to point out that you can live alone without feeling lonely. There is a difference between solitude and loneliness. More people are experiencing the feelings associated with loneliness and experiencing a gap between what they currently have and what they want in their social life. A large amount of people experiencing loneliness creates the loneliness epidemic.
There are two critical reasons for the rise in loneliness today. The atomization of people has led to increased social isolation and loneliness. Those are two recent essential components of society that have led to people becoming more isolated and less involved in their communities. People rarely know their neighbors today compared to previous generations. Social media has helped drive the loneliness epidemic as people spend more time on their screens than interacting with people in real life. There are also health consequences that come from loneliness. The other reason is the atomization of people, resulting in people becoming more divided today.
Short-Term Loneliness and Chronic Loneliness
There are also different types of loneliness. The first type is short-term loneliness. Short-term loneliness is a brief period of experiencing loneliness. You may experience short-term loneliness when you move because you don’t know anyone in the town or city where you now live.
The second type of loneliness is chronic loneliness or long-term loneliness. Chronic loneliness occurs when you have feelings of loneliness and social isolation for a long time. Chronic loneliness is a constant and unrelenting sense of being alone, separated, or divided from other people in your life. Long-term loneliness cannot connect more deeply with others in your life. Chronic loneliness can also include having deeply rooted feelings of inadequacy, poor self-esteem, and self-loathing for yourself. Whether it is short-term or chronic loneliness that you may experience, health issues come with loneliness.
Social Isolation and Loneliness
The loneliness epidemic has worsened due to the increased social isolation and loneliness that people now experience. Social isolation also means not having enough people to interact with regularly. It does not matter the amount of social contact you may have in your life, but you can still experience loneliness. Social isolation is when people do not interact with others. As a result of atomization, people have become more socially isolated. Social isolation connects to loneliness, and social isolation leads to mass formation psychosis.
Social isolation and loneliness are problems because people are naturally social creatures. You can improve your mental and physical health by being social and active with your friends, family, or community. As people have become more atomized, social isolation and loneliness have continued to grow.
Since more people have become more disconnected over the last three years due to the pandemic, social isolation and loneliness have risen, affecting young adults. Men often struggle more with isolation and loneliness than women. That is because men are less social compared to women.
Social isolation and loneliness are problems because people are naturally social creatures. You can improve your mental and physical health by being social and active with your friends, family, or community. As people have become more atomized, social isolation and loneliness have continued to grow.
Atomization of People
People are lonelier today. The loneliness epidemic is a result of people spending more time alone. The fragmenting of society has happened over time. People have become more atomized today. Atomization goes back to the mid-1970s when businesses started selling goods and services abroad. Social atomization has happened because society has become more fragmented today. Atomization is the “process by which larger units—compounds or cultures, molecules, or families—are broken down into their subcomponents, their individuality gaining clarity as their relationships disintegrate.” The atomization of society has happened as modern society has become more divided, and politics has become a part of everything. The atomization of society leads to otherizing people who don’t politically agree with you while people remain in their bubbles.
There are several reasons for the atomization of people today. Politics has become more divisive than ever before in history. A recent poll found that Americans have more political division than ever. The second reason is more people are living alone today. They often will not get to know their neighbors since people are working more or busy spending their time making enough to cover living costs. The third reason is people spend more time online, on social media, or on their mobile devices rather than getting to know people in real life. The fourth reason is that more people are working online rather than going into the office to get social interaction with co-workers and colleagues. The fifth reason is that people are spending less time in their communities. When people spend less time in their community, they spend more time alone without interacting with other people.
The political division continues to divide people into groups. The division from identity politics further leads to the atomization of people. Social media also helps people give people content that feeds their personal or political biases. Social media creates an infinite loop where people don’t escape their atomic bubble. It becomes more irrational in a society where people cannot interact with others who do not fit their personal, social, or political atomic bubbles. People can no longer have a rational conversation or debate with someone who disagrees with them on an issue. The atomization of individuals in society is the logical result of people being unable to leave their bubbles.
As people remain in ideological bubbles, atomization leads to social isolation and loneliness. People are interacting less with people in person today. Finding community today has become challenging because everything is political, and people remain in their atomic bubbles. People also spend more time online interacting with people in their virtual atomic bubbles. Those atomic bubbles have created the social media paradox.
Effects of Social Isolation and Loneliness on Health
Loneliness negatively affects people’s health. Loneliness harms health as much as obesity or smoking and affects mental health. Some mental health issues that can come from loneliness are depression and anxiety.
The CDC has found adverse effects of social isolation and loneliness on personal health. The National Academy of Sciences found loneliness and social isolation risks in studies. According to the CDC and National Academy of Sciences, health risks from social isolation and loneliness include the following:
• Social isolation significantly increases a person’s risk of premature death from all causes. This risk may rival those of smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity.
• Social isolation was associated with about a 50% percent increased risk of dementia.
• Poor social relationships (characterized by social isolation or loneliness) were associated with a 29% increased risk of heart disease and a 32% increased risk of stroke.
• Loneliness was associated with higher depression, anxiety, and suicide rates.
• Loneliness among heart failure patients was associated with a nearly four times increased risk of death, 68% increased risk of hospitalization, and 57% increased risk of emergency department visits.
Social media also affects personal health, from mental to physical health. The social media paradox is another piece of the loneliness epidemic puzzle.
The Social Media Paradox
The Social Media Paradox is that while people have become more connected than ever before, people have become lonelier. Social media is popular for psychologists to blame for the rise in isolation and atomization of people. People now spend more time online or on their phones than interacting with others in the real world. People spend more time on their phones, which has led to more isolation and loneliness.
Lance Morrow writes in (“An Age of Violated Boundaries“) that “Electronic communication is now replacing human communication.” That certainly seems to be the case. According to a 2019 Digital Report from Hootsuite and We Are Social, people now spend an average of 6 hours and 42 minutes online daily. People now spend half of that nearly seven hours on mobile phones. That means that people spend close to seven hours of their day on the Internet. People spend more of their time online virtually than interacting with people in real life. There is also an adverse health effect that has come from social media.
Social media platforms are addictive. Social media addiction can cause “anxiety, depression, and even physical ailments.” It has been found that “excessive social media use can result in fatigue which is linked to high anxiety and depression among adolescents.” Social media can cause mental health to decline by increasing anxiety, depression, fatigue, and physical ailments. Social media can also negatively affect sleep.
The most significant way social media can negatively affect mental health is sleep. It has been found that there is a link between social media use and less sleep. It is vital to get quality sleep and sleep for enough hours each night for personal health. When you don’t get enough sleep, or you have poor quality sleep, it can cause several health conditions:
• Weight gain and obesity
• Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Increased inflammation
• Reduced mood
• Depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety
• Diabetes
• Reduced cognition and brain health
• Dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease
• Heart disease and stroke
• Chronic pain and arthritis
• ADHD
People often sleep with their phones by their bed today, and this causes people to have poorer sleep quality each night. By having their phone by the bed, they will check it if they wake up rather than going back to sleep. In an ironic twist, the social media platforms and apps we use daily make us lonelier and negatively affect our mental and physical health. At the same time, social media can cause mental health and other problems, and loneliness can also cause mental health problems.
Solutions for the Loneliness Epidemic and the Social Media Paradox
There are eight ways for the loneliness epidemic and the social media paradox. The first way is to spend less time on or eliminate social media. The second solution is spending more time with friends, family, and community members. The third step is to find a hobby or something that you are passionate about and find other people interested in that same thing. Meetup is a great place to meet people around an interest or a hobby. The fourth way is to stay busy. The fifth solution is to exercise. The seventh step is to sleep without your phone near you to get a good night’s rest. The eighth solution is to make personal time for yourself. These eight steps will require you to act in your life to break free from social media and your smartphone. You will feel better once you have done it because people are naturally social animals.
Conclusion
Two primary reasons for the loneliness epidemic are the atomization of people and people spending more time on social media. If you feel lonely, the simple solution is to meet with people again and be involved with your community.
What do you think of the loneliness epidemic? Have you experienced social isolation or loneliness? What do you think about the atomization of people over the decades? What are your thoughts on the social media paradox?
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
There are many ways to spend time alone. The differences in how you spend time alone come down to how you think and feel alone. There is an essential difference between alone and lonely. Society views spending time alone as bad yet fails to differentiate between solitude versus loneliness.
Solitude Versus Loneliness
Solitude
What is solitude? Solitude is the act of being alone or remote from society. Solitude is a state of spending time on your own without being lonely, and it can lead you to self-awareness. It is the state of being able to be alone without being lonely. Solitude is a positive way of being alone. You can use solitude as a time for self-reflection. Solitude is a time for contemplation and to think about yourself and the world. Thinking, asking questions, and having peace in your mind is right. Deep thinking can lead to increased productivity and creativity.
There are different ways that you can have solitude. You can experience solitude in nature. You can experience solitude through spirituality and meditation. You can have solitude by taking some time to read a book or contemplating life. Solitude is positive because you choose it. You can use solitude as a time to refresh yourself, pursue something you are interested in learning, or developing a skill. You can use solitude to build self-awareness and continue developing yourself into the person you want to be.
There are also benefits from solitude. Solitude helps to increase productivity because you spend time focusing on finishing one thing. This time in solitude boosts your productivity, and studies confirm the connection between productivity and solitude. Solitude can help to increase your creativity and by decreasing your distractions. People are more productive and creative when they work in an office or a private space than a space with an open floor plan because of solitude. Solitude improves your psychological well-being. When you learn to spend time alone, you develop solitary skills that make you mentally stronger. When you spend time alone, studies have found that people are happier, have better life satisfaction, and have lower levels of depression. Being alone can also help you to improve your relationships. When you spend time alone in solitude, you develop more compassion for people.
In contrast, you develop an “us versus them” mentality that comes with spending time with family, friends, and colleagues. Solitude is a way for you to get to know yourself. When you spend time in solitude, you separate yourself from outside influences. You don’t have to worry about someone else’s emotions. As you get to know yourself more, you continue to get more comfortable in your own skin and who you are, and you start to get in touch with your authentic self. Once you know who you are, you can begin to plan your life by setting aside time and goals to reach your aspirations, dreams, and goals.
Loneliness
Loneliness is a distressing experience that occurs when that person perceives a person’s social relationships to be less in quantity, and especially in quality, than desired that leads to a state of distress or discomfort that results when one perceives a gap between one’s desires for social connection and actual experience. There is a loneliness epidemic, and it has been amplified by lockdown loneliness during the Covid pandemic. Loneliness is isolation and is a negative state. In contrast to the solitude which you choose, loneliness is forced upon you.
There are adverse effects of loneliness. The health effects of loneliness have similar consequences to smoking, obesity, lack of access to healthcare, and lack of physical activity. The results of loneliness are premature mortality. Chronic loneliness can also be experienced when someone lacks the mental, emotional, and financial resources to go out and social interaction with others to meet social needs. Chronic loneliness also happens when someone does not have a social circle to reach out to and interact with in your life.
You don’t need to be alone to experience loneliness. Loneliness can be experienced in public when people surround you. It can also happen to people who are married with their spouses and children. Loneliness can also be experienced when people in a public space surround you. A 2019 Pew Research Center survey found that more than 6,000 adults in the United States linked loneliness to overall dissatisfaction with one’s community, family, and social life. The quality of life declines from loneliness. The loss in life quality is because loneliness negatively affects the immune system and “fight or flight” mentality from stress.
If you are dealing with loneliness, you can find a roommate to have a social company living alone. Another option is to find cohousing options where you live. Cohousing allows you to interact with different people where you can have shared dining, recreational spaces, and laundry in the housing building. You can also work to build a community if you do not have one. You can have a community by going to events to find people who share your values or going to a place to meet people.
Conclusion
There is a difference between solitude and loneliness. Singles can use solitude to reflect, contemplate, and focus on productivity and creativity. Singles can avoid loneliness by having a community and becoming comfortable spending time alone with themselves.
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
Lockdowns have unintended consequences. Loneliness has risen from worldwide lockdowns. Lockdown loneliness has resulted in psychological and mental health problems for people around the globe. Lockdown loneliness is a problem that needs a solution during the Covid pandemic.
Lockdown Loneliness During Covid
The dangers of loneliness can cause depression, alcoholism, suicide, and mental health issues. Lockdown loneliness has resulted in a rise in alcoholism, mental health, and domestic abuse from the lockdowns. There was already a loneliness epidemic, but the lockdowns have only increased the problems connected to loneliness. It is harder for people to have social interactions with friends and family.
Depression
Depression symptoms have seen a three-fold increase from lockdown loneliness. These symptoms have risen from the emotional, physical, and psychological trauma from the lockdowns. Unemployment reached a record high of 14.7%, or 23.1 million, in April. It found that unemployment, or underemployment, causes depression. One of the consequences of the forced lockdowns have been rising unemployment numbers and depression.
Loneliness
The loneliness epidemic was already a problem before Covid. Intense loneliness has spiked with the lockdowns from social isolation. Loneliness affects health, particularly mental health. When you feel lonely, you may find ways to cope with loneliness. There are healthy and unhealthy coping mechanisms. If loneliness is not dealt with, it can lead to depression, substance abuse, self-harm, and suicide. Lockdown loneliness is a problem during Covid.
Substance Abuse
As people experience lockdown loneliness and become depressed, alcoholism and drug use rise during Covid lockdowns. Alcohol and drugs are coping mechanisms when people are lonely, isolated, and unable to interact with others due to lockdown restrictions socially. An unintended consequence from the lockdowns could be the rise in substance use disorders as people turned to alcohol and drugs as a coping mechanism during the pandemic. Substance abuse places further stress on the healthcare system. The current pressure from Covid and the pressure will remain after the Covid pandemic ends.
Self-Harm
Self-harm has risen during Covid-19. Self-harm is when you hurt yourself on purpose. There has been a surge in self-harm during the pandemic due to unemployment, mental illness, and human social interaction loss. As Covid displaces more people, self-harm is a significant issue that has far-reaching consequences. Thoughts of self-harm can come when you feel helpless and lonely.
Suicide
Mental health experts warned about a rise in suicide from the lockdowns. Suicidal thoughts have increased, especially in young adults during the lockdowns. In October in Japan, data showed that more died from suicide than from Covid-19. As people are unemployed and use unhealthy coping mechanisms, self-harm and suicidal thoughts rise. The CDC has reported a doubling in the risk of suicidal ideation by people. Robert Redfield, the CDC director, said, “We’re seeing, sadly, far greater suicides now than we are deaths from COVID.” Lockdown loneliness has led to a rise in suicide.
Lockdown Loneliness During Covid Solutions
There are ways that you can deal with the lockdown loneliness during Covid. You can practice self-care. You can find a community online so that you have people to interact with during the pandemic. Suppose your loneliness is severe and you are self-harming yourself. You can find a psychiatrist or psychologist to help you during this time. Contact the suicide helpline if you have had suicidal thoughts or have considered suicide. Know that you will make it through this and that there are resources that can help you.
Conclusion
Lockdown loneliness during Covid is real, and the consequences are depression, substance abuse, self-harm, and suicide. These are health repercussions that have come from the Covid-19 pandemic. Social interaction is vital to personal health, but that has become difficult from the lockdown orders as people have been spending more time at home.
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
There have been flu epidemics throughout history. The Coronavirus Pandemic is currently ranking as of the most catastrophic in recent history. The economy has been on lockdown. Citizens must quarantine. People must wear a face mask, social distance, wash hands, and test for the virus. It is an uncertain time. It can be challenging to be single during Covid, but when you are isolated and lonely. It is possible to thrive as a single person during Covid, and here are five ways for single to make it through the Covid pandemic.
Connect with Your Community Online
Community is vital to have in life. While things have changed due to state and lockdown mandates, you can still connect with your community. There are many different ways that you can build a community online today. You can find online groups that relate to your interests on Facebook, LinkedIn, and online forums. While in-person events may be limited, you can find Meetup groups in your area, or a group may host events online using Skype or Zoom. You can also find online support groups for anxiety, addiction, and mental health to deal with those issues during the pandemic. Things have continued to move online, so you can now have a virtual online community and a real-life in-person community.
Focus on Health
Singles can focus on health during Covid. You can focus on exercise, vitamins, and eating right. Exercise is also crucial for health because physical activity fights against health conditions and diseases. Vitamins should primarily come from a balanced diet, but there is nothing wrong with using supplements when appropriate. A healthy diet is vital to living a healthy life. You can improve your diet by making a grocery list, drink water, and cook at home instead of going out to eat. A grocery list helps you plan to buy healthier food. It helps to prevent you from making impulse purchases while also saving money. Water is an essential part of a good diet. Drinking water helps maintain a healthy diet because water helps with weight loss, weight maintenance, and lowering the number of calories you consume in a day. Instead of going out to eat, you can cook at home. When you cook at home, you have control over the ingredients and can make healthy meals. If you enjoy cooking, a fun way to learn new recipes is to try an original healthy recipe each week.
Good Habits
During this time of change, you can work to build good habits. There are three main ways to be intentional about creating good habits. The first way is to start small. You can begin by focusing on the routine you want to develop and work to increase the behavior once it starts to be natural. Make a clear intention of what habit behavior you want to be your focus. The second way is implementation intention, which is to make the habit you want to work on into an if/then statement. An example of applying the implantation intention is, “If I finish running my errands, then I will go to the gym.” The third way is to focus on one habit at a time. It is best to focus on creating a new good practice with a laser focus. When you make the first habit habitual, then you can start to work on the next habit.
Self-Evolution
Being single during Covid is a time for you to evolve through the choices and intentions that you set for yourself. Use this is a time to learn. What interests you? What do you want to know about? Make a list of the things that you want to learn. Learning also means trying new things. Don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone and do something you have never done before. When you try something different, you may discover a new interest, hobby, or activity. Use this is also a time to learn self-mastery. Self-mastery is about positive growth and working to reach higher consciousness through self-evolution. Times change, and you must evolve with it instead of staying stagnate. Being single during Covid is a time for self-evolution.
Work on Yourself
Being single during Covid is a time to work on yourself. Working on yourself means that you take time to your time, energy, and focus on yourself. Once you confront the reality that you have neglected your needs, you acknowledge the fact, and you are ready to work on yourself. When you start to focus and work on yourself, you will slowly begin to see results. You can work on yourself by spending time alone in solitude. Solitude can help you to get in touch with your inner self. Spend time in silence or meditation. You can work on yourself by reading a book or watching videos on subjects that are of interest to you. Focus on what you provide to others and what others gain from having you in their life. You can be grateful and realize what you have and bring to the world. Once you know what you bring to the world, challenge yourself, and follow your passion. Pursue your passion and never give up. You are the only one who is fully capable of knowing yourself, and you are the only one who can work to make your passion a life reality. Use this chaotic time to learn never to give up, take responsibility, and make your dreams a reality.
Conclusion
Being single during Covid is an opportunity to learn about yourself and to work on yourself. It is up to you for how you this time, but you can use the Covid chaos as a time move from chaos to the future and return to your strengths. It is up to you how you choose to use this period of uncertainty.
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
The world is in the middle of a worldwide pandemic. While the focus of the pandemic is the Coronavirus, there has been a rise in loneliness. The loneliness epidemic was already on the rise before coronavirus. Loneliness is contagious. It has been found that those who are close to someone experiencing loneliness that they were 52% more likely to become lonely. Since loneliness is contagious and more people have experienced loneliness during the pandemic, it is important for you to deal with loneliness. We are in the midst of two pandemics: loneliness and coronavirus. Here are five ways that you can deal with the loneliness epidemic in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic
Stay Healthy
The first way that you can deal with loneliness is to work to stay healthy. Your health is important so don’t let loneliness harm your personal health. Focus on having a healthy diet, getting exercise, and going outside. A healthy diet contributes to your well-being by providing you with the nutrition that your body needs to function. Food is what gives your body the fuel and energy that you need each day. Food and nutrition are a reflection of your health. It is important to also focus on staying fit by exercising and working out.
Community
Find groups where you live and online that you can reach out to and who can support you. It is important that you surround yourself with a like-minded community that shares your values, interests, and goals. You will find others who share things that you have in common. A community helps you during your good times and your bad times. Community rescues you from isolation, alienation, and loneliness. If you do not have a community, work to build one in real life and online because having a community is good for your well-being.
Be Busy and Productive
It is important to stay busy and to be productive. Find something that you enjoy and keep yourself busy by working on that. You can keep yourself busy by working on a project. You can work on finding ways to develop your career. It can also be something as simple as working to clean your house and kitchen. A clean house will also help with your mental health. By surrounding yourself with a clean space, it will help to increase your productivity. Organization is important because you will be more focused which will increase your productivity. Find ways to stay busy and to be productive and this will help you to be less lonely.
Mental Health
Your mental health is very important. Mental health goes along with your physical health. If you are feeling lonely, it directly affects your mental health. Common mental health problems include clinical depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. You can improve your mental health in a number of ways. You can work to build and maintain relationships by creating a community. You can stay healthy by exercising and eating right. You can work by challenging yourself to achieve your goals. Practice mindfulness by meditating or praying which can help to decrease your stress. Sleep is also important to be mentally healthy so get enough sleep and have quality sleep. Self-care is vital and connects directly to your mental health.
Self-Care
Self-care is vital for your mental health, productivity, health, and finding the right people to become part of your community. Self-care will look different for each person. You can start to focus on self-care by focusing on your health, mental health, emotional health, spiritual health, and taking time for yourself. It is not selfish to take time for self-care. Self-care means you treat yourself with the same care, kindness, and respect that you give to others. Self-care is a reflection of self-love.
Conclusion
These are five ways that you can deal with loneliness during the coronavirus pandemic that has affected the world. You can focus on your personal health. You can work to find and create a community both online and in real life. You can find ways to be busy and productive in the changing world. You can concentrate on your mental health. You can work to begin to create a daily self-care routine. By implementing these five steps into your life you can begin to deal with the loneliness that has risen amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
Loneliness is a problem that some singles experience. Loneliness is also a problem when you are isolated and have minimal to no social interaction during this time of social distancing during the quarantine. Here are four ways that singles can combat loneliness during social distancing to stay sane while in quarantine.
4 Ways Singles Can Combat Loneliness During Social Distancing
Technology
Singles can use technology to stay in touch with their friends and family. This can be done using social media, video communication applications, and finding groups online that fit your interests. Social media can be used to stay up to date with your friends and connections. You will be able to see what your friends are posting about and communicate with them to see how they are doing with the coronavirus and the lockdowns.
Join A Virtual Club or Group
Find a virtual group that shares your interests and hobbies. You can find groups on Facebook and Meetup to meet like-minded people. You can also find a range of different online support groups and hobby clubs to get interaction with people online and with video calls to get personal interaction while in quarantine. The Internet allows you to find people during this time who share mutual interests and your values so consider joining a virtual club or group to get some level of social interaction during the pandemic.
Go Outside
Don’t be afraid to go outside. Get Vitamin D. Go on a short walk or sit outside if you have a patio. Exercise and being outside is healthy. It is unhealthy to stay inside since it attributes to health issues because you need sunlight. The health benefits associated with going outside include relieving stress, strengthening immunity, increasing focus, healthier lifestyle, emotional health, psychological health, weight management, better short-term memory, improving eye vision, decreases deficit disorder, and life longevity. Despite the pandemic, don’t be afraid to go outside to get fresh air and enjoy the sun because it is healthy.
Reach Out to Others and Ask How Others are Really Doing
During this time, people are cooped up inside and are having minimal to no social interaction depending upon their situation. You should not be afraid to reach out to your friends and family to ask how they are doing. However, make a point to be direct and to get them to be honest about how they truly are
These are four simple ways that singles can combat loneliness during this time of social distancing. Make use of technology. Find groups online. Go outside and get exercise. Reach out to your friends and family during this uncertain time and know that you can defeat loneliness.
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
The Loneliness Epidemic is a growing problem and there is a decline in having a core community for people today which contributes to the epidemic. This can lead to loneliness which can affect your health. You must know your enemy which is loneliness in order to successfully defeat it and to win the war against the Loneliness Epidemic.
Know Your Enemy: Loneliness
Know Your Enemy
In order to best defeat an enemy, you need to know your enemy and yourself. Loneliness is the enemy. You must know the enemy if you want to successfully defeat them. You must also know yourself. Sun Tzu writes in The Art of War “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” It is in the spirit of The Art of War that you can work to fight against loneliness.
Loneliness
Loneliness is isolation when you have no friends or community which creates a feeling of sadness. This is different from being alone.
Defeating the Enemy
Now that you know your enemy, loneliness, it is time to create a battle plan to defeat loneliness. You can work to decrease your feelings of loneliness by following this guide as well as working to develop a community you can reach out to when you feel lonely. If you ever feel lonely and have no one to reach out to, get outside of your house or apartment and go somewhere that you enjoy such as a restaurant or a group that you are a member of to get some human interaction.
Summary
The Loneliness Epidemic is very real as is loneliness. Learn how to fight your enemy by getting to the root causes of loneliness. It will require more than you to do this because humans are naturally sociable animals which mean having community is one way to help defeat loneliness. Fight the good fight by first getting to know your enemy and work to fight loneliness every day.