Are You Secretly Lonely?
Loneliness can be described in many ways: despair, emptiness, hopelessness, and longing. Loneliness is a feeling that can destroy you emotionally. The emotions attached to loneliness can be powerful enough to trigger rejection and depression. In some cases loneliness can even cause early death per psychologist John Cacioppo, PhD, University of Chicago. So are you secretly lonely?
Here are some signs to help you figure it out:
1. Losing sleep
Research from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine shows that loneliness attacks your restful night’s sleep. Sleep cycles of 95 people in South Dakota were measured comparing them to the participant’s self-reported loneliness scores. Results showed that the lonelier the participant, the higher the levels of fragmented sleep. According to them, loneliness does not change the total amount of sleep but awakens them more during the night.
2. Lack of bonding with those around you
If you notice a lack of bonding to the people around you, this can show you are lonely and feel disconnected from others. You are often found lost in thought. Behavior is usually calm, quiet, and composed. You have more friends on the internet than in real life.
3. Spending more time on internet
Finding yourself passing time on internet even if you have nothing to do is another indicator of being lonely. You don’t have people close to talk to or spend time with. You may search for weird quotes and movies on the internet.
4. Random signs
Feeling uncomfortable being yourself and making the needs of others a priority before your own are negative indicators. You may catch yourself smiling at conversations even if you don’t know what they are talking about.
How To Deal With Loneliness:
1. Like yourself
It might be hard to reach out to others as they may not like you if you don’t like yourself. Those who have higher self-esteem are fun and interesting. Try to eliminate negative thoughts about yourself and build positive ones. Take good care of yourself and eat healthy. Live a healthy lifestyle, get plenty of rest, and do things you enjoy.
2. Go to events
Go to meetings, concerts, lectures, and other activities. This will help you make contacts and friends. When you see the same person repeatedly, you may begin to talk about common interests. This will gradually build close relationships. Be social and behave well.
3. Volunteer
Join organizations and work for a worthy cause. At the end of the day you will feel good about yourself and meet people with common passions. Join communities or groups on Facebook, spread awareness, and work for others.
4. Keep in touch with old friends
Don’t lose contact with old friends and if you have, try reconnecting with them. Old friends are the best friends, they know you better than others, they have been with you during growth periods. Make a call or drop a message, go out for lunch once in a while, and share your fun ideas with them. Good and happy times remain fresh longer and will give you positive thoughts.
5. Build strong relationships with family
Family connections are important and play a key role in the state of a person’s mind. Often due to lack of communication and time, we ignore our families and do not pay enough attention to them. By reconnecting with them, you can enrich your life. Always remember that nobody can love you more than your family and they often give the best advice. Share your thoughts and routine with them. Talk about solutions to your problems and you will feel better.
