Feeling Lonely? Get Out There and Do Stuff!
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Loneliness can be really difficult to contend with. Not only are you utterly miserable on your own, but, persuading yourself to make the effort to go out and meet up with people gets harder and harder as your loneliness persists. If you aren’t careful, you can quickly get into a cycle where you don’t see people, get frustrated about not seeing people and, as a consequence, don’t feel like seeing people.
While your symptoms are totally understandable, and loneliness is becoming something of a 21st century plague, you need to burst your bubble and get out there. Making contact with people when you are low is tough, but if you start making a little more effort each day, your symptoms will be alleviated and you will be so much happier. The key is to start small.
Go Out for a Coffee
Combating loneliness is about taking the initiative to get out of your home and break the cycle. Now going out to get coffee really isn’t going to break the bank, but it is going to get your outside of your home and into contact with other people. To begin with, you might want to rush in and straight out again, but give yourself some more time. Take a book an sit at a table if like. Have a chat with the barista about the type of coffee or what a lovely day it is. Smile at someone when you catch their eye and don’t be afraid to make conversation.
Talking to Strangers
In spite of what your mom said when you were a kid, talking to strangers is actually a good thing. It gives you an opportunity to connect with someone without having to follow up later on. This means that even if the worst does happen and you make a fool of yourself, you will see that there are no real consequences. In fact, once you are a little more comfortable making conversation, you should try asking a stranger something really stupid just to prove to yourself that whatever happens, even if someone thinks you’re weird, it’s not the end of the world.
Be Proactive
Some hibernation watching films and hiding under a rug is completely normal and there is a difference between loneliness and solitude that is important to note. However, when you are hibernating by habit, it’s time to get out there and do something different.
The final part of conquering your loneliness: making plans and then sticking to them. While you are lonely, it is easy to make plans and then flake out later on. However, if you are more proactive and stick to your plans, you will find that your relationships improve and your support network tightens up. Have a look on TicketOffices for some events you could ask friends to attend with you and make some plans to go.
Loneliness is difficult to defeat, but with a little determination and a lot of small steps, you will work your way to back to having an amazing group of friends and a wonderful life. Get out there – you know you can do it.
Tia, and TipsfromTia.com is trying to keep you looking good and
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