Loneliness is a horrible feeling we wouldn’t wish on anyone. This is why it’s vital to learn how to not feel lonely, especially as it’s easy to feel so.
Is there anything worse than feeling lonely? Unfortunately, many people suffer from loneliness, even those who appear on the surface to have plenty of friends and family around them. If you experience it, learning how to not feel lonely means a little bit of work on your part, but with good consequences.
Even if several people surround you, it’s still easy to feel lonely. Loneliness doesn’t just occur when you’re alone, but it also occurs when the wrong group of people surrounds you.
But just because you feel lonely, it doesn’t mean that’s your final destination. You can always choose to overcome this feeling if you want to.
[Read: Why do I feel so alone? 14 truths that can heal and change your life]
Why do people feel lonely?
Even as loneliness is a normal feeling, that doesn’t make it easier to bear. People feel lonely for several reasons, and these reasons are not always what meets the eye. People feel lonely because they feel misunderstood or they don’t fit in.
Even when surrounded by a crowd of people, they feel like others will never fully understand the core of who they are – and that’s the loneliest feeling of all. This is the reason why even people in committed relationships can feel lonely. Maybe because they feel withdrawn from their partner or they feel misunderstood.
People could also feel lonely because they have no friends or company around them. And if they have trouble socializing or meeting new people, this could cause loneliness. So you see, it’s essential to learn how to not feel lonely. [Read: The 3 stages to embrace and overcome loneliness]
How to not feel lonely
Loneliness takes many forms. For many, it comes from a place within where they don’t feel understood or relatable to other people.
Of course, there is physical loneliness too, and feeling as though you have no friends or people to hang out with can be terribly isolating. It leads to feelings of sadness and depression.
In the worst cases, loneliness really takes hold of people and causes them to act irrationally or withdraw entirely from the world. However, there is no need to let it get so drastic.
By following these tips, many people find they slowly discover ways to meet new people, make new friends, and generally feel more positive, confident, and happy in the world! So, how to not feel lonely? Well, here are the easiest and quickest tips to help stop that feeling of loneliness. [Read: Feeling unloved – 6 reasons why and 10 fixes to overcome it]
1. Go out more
You can’t make new friends and meet new people by sitting holed up in your house alone. By forcing yourself to go out to social events, you increase your chances of meeting like-minded people with who you get on with. Stop sulking inside your home and expect not to feel lonely when you’re not doing something about it.
So socialize and expand your horizons! You must start somewhere. You take the first steps in the right direction to alleviate your loneliness by just showing up. [Read: 14 signs you’re a homebody who 100% needs to go out more!]
2. Say yes to things
Be a yes person instead of a no person. When you get invited out to places or just as an opportunity comes your way, don’t be afraid to say yes. Just go for it and see where the adventure takes you.
We know how scary it might seem, but you’ll regret all the missed opportunities if you keep saying no. So get yourself out there and start saying yes! [Read: 100 completely overlooked, yet awesome things to be thankful for]
3. Enjoy your own company
Feeling lonely isn’t necessarily about being with other people. You should be able to have a good time by yourself, and learning to enjoy and value your own company is definitely part of that.
Remember to be your own best friend. Instead of being down on yourself, learn how to respect and look after yourself instead. You can be alone without feeling lonely. All it takes is to learn how to be alone first if you want to learn how to not feel lonely. [Read: 18 honest reasons why you don’t have friends that care about you]
4. Take up a class
Learning something new helps distract you from your loneliness and can also be a great opportunity to meet new people.
Don’t underestimate the possibility of meeting new people by just taking up a class or participating in an event. What’s even better is that you meet people who share your interests and hobbies! What a beautiful way to start a friendship, right?
5. Get a new hobby
A new hobby leads to meeting like-minded people. Choose something you love, such as painting or a new sport, and throw yourself into it.
Find communities of people who enjoy the same things you do and reach out to them. You need to let yourself get out of your comfort zone if you want to learn how to not feel lonely. Try dancing, hitting the gym, or maybe creating your own song! [Read: How to be more interesting and make everyone want to know you]
6. Smile more
Just the act of smiling makes us feel happier within ourselves. It also helps you seem friendlier. People are more likely to approach you.
Life is already difficult enough, so you don’t need to add to that seriousness by not smiling more.
Smile, laugh, and enjoy every bit that life has to offer. Smiling also releases endorphins and dopamine into your body, which are happy hormones! [Read: How to smile more often and change your life]
7. Practice striking up a conversation
Even if you are timid, learn how to conduct a conversation. Practice makes perfect, so try to strike up a conversation with someone, even your local barista or shopkeeper. Keep practicing.
With each pleasant conversation you have, your confidence grows. You won’t be the perfect conversationalist overnight, but the fact that you’re trying will help you meet new people and expand your circle. Keep trying, and you’ll eventually get there. [Read: How to make small talk and start conversations with anyone without feeling awkward]
8. Go speed dating
If you really want to throw yourself in the deep end, go speed dating.
This helps you practice talking to lots of people. You may meet someone you really get on with too!
Speed dating encourages you to work on your conversation skills by simultaneously talking from person to person. It can make you nervous, but hey, it helps! *and you can let others do the talking as well!* [Read: 70 speed dating questions to reveal everything and fast]
9. Watch an uplifting movie
Sometimes, if you want to know how to not feel lonely, you just need to forget about being lonely. Take yourself out to an inspiring, upbeat movie. You’ll probably find yourself in a much better frame of mind.
The next time you feel lonely and want to learn how to not feel lonely, watch Netflix or hit the movies and grab a bag of popcorn. You’ll feel a range of emotions throughout the movie, and it’ll distract you enough from your loneliness.
10. Read a good book
The same goes for reading—find a book to immerse yourself in and get lost in another world for a while! Getting lost in books is such an excellent way to fight loneliness.
You’re immersed in what the author is portraying to the readers instead of focusing on your loneliness. This is why if you want to forget that you’re feeling lonely, grab yourself a good book and finish it if you can! [Read: 12 must-read books to reinvent your life]
11. Get a new job
A new job can be just the thing you need to start fresh. You have a whole new set of people you see every day who could become great friends.
If you want to learn how to not feel lonely, grab your chance at a new beginning and start getting to know the people in your workplace. We understand how scary change must feel, but it’s also an opportunity for brand new connections and friendships! [Read: How to start a new life and leave all the toxic messes from your old life for good]
12. Volunteer
Volunteering is a great way to feel better about yourself, improve your sense of self-worth, and meet new people. It also puts things in perspective if you feel a little sorry for yourself!
It switches the focus from yourself to others, and that’s how you fight off loneliness. It provides you with a bigger picture and maybe even changes your perspective about the aspect that’s causing your loneliness.
13. Join groups
Joining various groups such as running groups or writing groups helps you meet new sets of people and expand your interests.
Whether online or in-person, there are several support groups and community groups that can help you feel less lonely. Maybe it’s a fitness group or dance group. Whatever it is, joining groups can help you learn how to not feel lonely. [Read: How to make new friends as an adult – 15 ways to do it right]
14. Get a pet
You might just crave some company if you live alone. And, providing you have the time and resources to care for it, it may be that a little furry friend is a perfect company!
It’s never easy to live alone, so having yourself some company can significantly help. Especially with something as adorable as a furry friend, you’re guaranteed to feel less lonely once you get yourself a pet. [Read: Adopting a pet? The true signs you’re ready to get a pet together]
15. Figure out why you feel lonely
It is essential to get to the root cause of your loneliness. If something deeper is going on, try to tackle it. You end up feeling so much better. As we mentioned above, there are so many possible reasons why someone feels lonely.
So if you genuinely want to overcome this awful feeling, you need to tackle the issue at hand. If it’s a trauma, childhood, or something else, you need to face it, and only then will you learn how to not feel lonely. [Read: How to get over feeling unwanted and start feeling desirable again]
16. Make a positive playlist
Music really changes a mood and takes you from feeling lonely and isolated to positive and inspired. Make a playlist of all your favorite uplifting songs and put it on whenever you feel sad.
There’s nothing like a dance party to lift your spirits whenever you feel lonely and sad. So make a playlist filled with all your faves, and that’s guaranteed to hype you up and make you feel better. [Read: 40 fun and upbeat songs to groove you out of that funk]
17. Change your attitude
Sometimes we get ourselves into a bit of a funk in life. It seems as though the whole world is against us. If you feel like you need to change your attitude, there are many great people out there and brilliant experiences to be had. So be more positive and know that you turn things around.
Learning how to not feel lonely is sometimes all a matter of changing your attitude and perspective. Don’t hold on to believing that everyone is out to get you. Just because you’ve been hurt once, that doesn’t mean it will happen again. [Read: Giving up on life – How to change your self-deprecating attitude]
18. Exercise
Exercise releases endorphins and helps us clear our heads. Plus, it can be a great way to meet new people. If you want to learn how to not feel lonely, exercising is your best option. It also releases dopamine and endorphins in your body, which counters all the stress and loneliness in your body.
If you want to learn how to not feel lonely, hit the gym or do your preferred exercise. Trust us; this is a therapeutic way to distract yourself from feeling lonely. [Read: 30 inspirational tips on how to get motivated to exercise]
19. Keep busy
Distracting yourself from your loneliness helps get you through it, so make sure you keep busy. Especially when the feeling of loneliness is overwhelming you to an extreme, keeping yourself busy is favorable.
Whether it’s working on your deadlines, working out, or really just doing anything productive, it helps you forget that you’re feeling lonely. Of course, you need to choose healthy distractions rather than destructive ones.
20. Start a journal
Writing down how you feel is excellent catharsis. Why not start a journal? You might find patterns to your loneliness which helps you get through it as well.
Journaling is another therapeutic way if you want to learn how to not feel lonely. Writing your feelings down on paper about your loneliness gives you perspective and reduces your burden from the feeling. [Read: How to improve yourself – 16 powerful secrets of self-improvement]
21. Travel
Leaving everything behind and going somewhere with new sights, sounds, colors, and cultures to explore help turn your life around. So, if you feel lonely, why not book a trip, and go on an adventure?
Your whole perspective on life may well change. This works as a great distraction and helps you create memories and meet new people in the process! You never know, you could find new friends on the other side of the country or the world! [Read: 15 reasons you should travel at least once a year]
22. Don’t blame yourself
Remember, it’s not your fault. Blaming yourself for your loneliness only makes things harder. Instead, try to shake off negative feelings of self-loathing or self-doubt and know that you can turn things around if you want to.
It’s SO easy to blame yourself and dwell on self-deprecating thoughts and feelings when you’re lonely, but you must refrain from doing so.
It’s not your fault you feel lonely, especially as it can be the hardest thing to control. [Read: How to stop feeling sorry for yourself & end the pity party]
23. Get enough sleep
Being overly tired makes things seem so much worse. Make sure you get your 40 winks! When you feel sleep-deprived, your emotions are all over the place, and it’s easy to dwell on your feelings of loneliness.
So get at least 7-8 hours of sleep if you want to learn how to not feel lonely. If you have a habit of lacking sleep, you need to rest.
24. Pamper yourself
Treating yourself helps you relax and teach you that you can be your own best friend. Taking care of yourself should start from within.
Maybe you feel lonely because you’re neglecting your own needs too much and aren’t pampering yourself enough. Visit the spa, get a haircut, or get your nails done! Trust us; this can significantly help with your feelings of loneliness. [Read: How to focus on yourself – 27 wats to create your own sunshine]
25. Be honest with yourself
Be completely honest about why you feel lonely and how you got there. It will help you fix the problem so much faster.
Otherwise, you’ll never fully overcome your loneliness, and you might constantly rely on distractions. [Read: How to respect yourself – 14 secrets of self-worth and self-belief]
26. Communicate
If you want to learn how to not feel lonely, it’s essential to learn how to communicate. You might’ve heard the saying that communication is key, which speaks volumes even when learning how to not feel lonely.
If you never learn to say what you feel, you’ll always be hiding feelings of resentment, anger, and loneliness within you. Repressed emotions are one of the most common causes for feeling lonely, which is exactly why you should learn to express what you feel. [Read: What to talk about with friends & ask the questions most ignore]
27. Treat yourself with compassion
Whenever you feel lonely or really any negative emotions, you should be treating yourself the way you would a friend. Treat yourself with compassion, kindness, and love when you’re feeling lonely.
Avoid resorting to self-blame and hate because really, that won’t get you anywhere but a self-destructive route. So be soft and gentle with yourself if you want to stop feeling lonely.
28. Call someone you trust
Sometimes, the best therapy is calling your favorite person in the entire world – someone who can automatically lift your spirits the minute you talk to them.
The first person who came to your mind when we said this, that’s who you should call. Surprise them with a call and catch up about both your lives! Trust us; you’ll eventually forget your loneliness once you get lost in conversation.
29. Reduce using social media
If you’re going to learn how to not feel lonely, stop using social media frequently. We’re not saying social media is entirely bad, but it can encourage feelings of loneliness and sadness, especially when you’re already struggling with these feelings enough.
The minute you see everyone else living their best lives and being surrounded by loved ones, it will make you feel lonely. So maybe reduce your social media usage and focus on the present moment instead. [Read: Social media addiction: The 16 alarming symptoms & how to break out]
30. Don’t just sit in one place
The worst thing you can do for your loneliness is staying in one place the entire time. Just like you need healthy distractions to better manage your anxiety, the same concept applies to loneliness.
So go outside, take a walk, surround yourself with nature, walk your pet, or just really do anything. You’ll thank us for this tip when you realize that it works. It’s a better alternative than sitting with your loneliness, anyway.
[Read: 15 reasons why you should travel at least once a year]
So, how to not feel lonely?
These tips can help you to get to the root cause of your loneliness and find a way to connect with more people, take care of yourself, and stop feeling isolated.
Loneliness might be an awful feeling, but remember that it doesn’t last forever. It’s a feeling that will pass eventually with the right kind of effort, dedication, and interest in transforming your life.
[Read: 15 revealing truths about feeling alone even when you’re in a relationship]
By making a little more effort and battling those demons in your head, you can learn how to not feel lonely. After all, nobody deserves to feel lonely, and nobody should have to suffer this terrible feeling.
The post How to Not Feel Lonely: 30 Ways to Chase the Lonely Blues Away is the original content of LovePanky - Your Guide to Better Love and Relationships.
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