One of the major challenges for happiness is loneliness. It can be not only a terrible and common obstacle in the pursuit of happiness but also a wonderful opportunity for healing, reflection and growth. Living alone has a lot of advantages but one of the most common and most subtle disadvantages is feeling lonely. Yet, there are a lot of things you can do to create a loving home that repels loneliness. Here are a few tips that will help you not to numb your emotions but to get you moving and to never feel lonely again:
One of the most important things you should do if you are feeling lonely is to try to figure out what’s missing from your life and what’s causing these feelings. There are a lot of people who need both a social circle and an intimate attachment to feel happy and fulfilled, so the more clearly you see what’s lacking from your life, the more clearly you’ll see the possible solutions to your problem.
Loneliness can make people feel more cynical, more critical, more negative and more judgmental. If you realize that you have been feeling this way and that your feelings of loneliness is what caused all that negativity, then it’s time to change and focus on the positive things in your life.
When you are feeling lonely, call your friends, your family members or your loved ones. Make plans, sign up for a class, meet new people! Just do everything you can to connect with others and chase away those feelings of loneliness.
Living alone has a lot of advantages. Do you like dancing in your undies to Beyoncé? If so, then just do it more often. There’s no one around to see you, so just go crazy with those dance moves! Also try to think about what you love about living alone and then just look for ways to indulge in those things every day.
A pet will make you forget all about your loneliness. Whether you adopt a cat, a dog, a parrot or buy some fish, it’s important to have pets when living alone since they are great companions to talk to. That interaction with a living being other than yourself can chase away your loneliness.
If you feel lonely, then just go and find a place where you can volunteer, since volunteering is a great way to meet new people, to make friends, to help people in need and to acquire some new and amazing skills. It will keep you busy and it will provide you the opportunity to focus on someone else, instead of yourself.
A lot of studies show that expressing gratitude correlates positively with happiness. Find a friend or a family member and each day for a month share with them a thing you are grateful for. You will not only feel closer to your friend, but you will also feel happier and you’ll appreciate your life more.
Loneliness can distract you sometimes from enjoying the beautiful things in your live but keep in mind that there are a lot of things you can do to turn your loneliness into an opportunity for reflection and growth. What are other things someone should do to avoid feeling lonely? Please share your tips with us in the comments section!
Sources:
akirahrobinson.com
linkedin.com
apartmenttherapy.com