subject: Dealing With The Feeling Of Loneliness [print this page] Loneliness can be a tremendously devastating feeling, and at your lowest point, things can seem pretty bleak. Everyone on the planet feels lonely at some point in their lives, and it is thought that even some animals feel loneliness to a certain degree. All this doesn't make dealing with loneliness any easier of course, although there is perhaps some comfort to be gained in the realization that you are not the only one who feels that way.
The reasons for feeling lonely are numerous and varied, and they tend to differ from person to person. The episodes of loneliness themselves may vary in intensity and duration, with some people feeling only a fleering tinge of loneliness and others basically living intimately with their loneliness for several years.
A temporary feeling of loneliness with an apparent reason is usually pretty easy to dispel. If you have been out of your social circle for a while due to work or a family related concern, you may suffer from a period of loneliness that could nevertheless be solved quite easily. One of the most effective solutions you can try is to reestablish contact with old friends or immediate family members. You simply can't underestimate the feeling of joy and pleasure that you will get from hearing the voice of a loved one over the phone, and you can even use the Internet for keeping track and reestablishing contact.
If you have a regular group of people that you hang out with, it might be a good idea to go to a cafe or restaurant for a few hours. You can even take a walk in the park with a close friend or simply lounge around in someone else's house for a while. Oftentimes, all you really need to shake off the loneliness is to get out of your house and see some people and breathe some fresh air.
It may also be worthwhile to seek out like minded people in your community in order to make some new friends. This is a particularly useful way to deal with loneliness if you have just moved into town and have no old friends to call on at a moment's notice. By expanding your social circle, you not only make new friends that can be helpful to have around the next time loneliness strikes, but you will be keeping yourself busy too busy to feel lonely.
Almost all methods proposed for dealing with feeling loneliness tend to turn inward toward the sufferer. However, there is also some value in focusing your efforts toward other people. It has long been known that many lonely people get a considerable measure of relief by helping other people in need. Why not try helping out at your local homeless shelter or volunteering your services to the orphanage. By helping people who have much less than you do, you can be of benefit to people other than yourself, and you will probably be too occupied to focus on your loneliness issues.
