Loneliness.
It can be expected to feel alone sometimes, even when the world progresses around you at a rapid rate. Whether it is missing out on events or being so busy that you don’t have enough time to spend time with friends or loved ones, feeling alone is a normal part of everyday life that you are likely to experience from time to time. However, the progression of feeling alone to experiencing loneliness can indicate a bigger issue.
Loneliness is the idea of being uncomfortable or uneasy about feeling alone or solitary which can be attributed to various factors. Loneliness can stem from not having the desired amount of social interactions or when you are going through a life transition. Oftentimes, people may experience loneliness when moving to a new place or starting a new job which is normal for a short period of time. When this period lasts longer than a few months and interferes with your daily life, it might be time to speak to a mental health professional and work on ways to decrease the loneliness you are experiencing.
If you have noticed any scenarios such as these, it may be time to get yourself or your loved one help and find healthier ways to cope with emotional distress.
The GW Resiliency & Well-being Center provides services to members of the GW Medical Enterprise, which includes the GW School of Medicine & Health Sciences, GW Medical Faculty Associates, and GW Hospital. Fill out this consultation form to meet with a member of our behavioral services team.
- Mental Health Effects of Loneliness
-
- When you are experiencing loneliness for longer than a transitional period, you may experience a decline in your overall mental well-being.
- What can be signs of loneliness?
- Feeling more anxious or on edge
- Experiencing low mood or desire to engage in your usual activities
- An increased feeling of stress and a lessened ability to manage that stress
- A decrease in motivation
- Socially isolating from friends or loved ones.
- Sleeping more than usual
- A drastic change in appetite
- Reliance on substances such as alcohol or drugs
- What can be signs of loneliness?
- When you are experiencing loneliness for longer than a transitional period, you may experience a decline in your overall mental well-being.
- Coping skills
-
- Allowing yourself to validate your feelings is an important part of increasing your insight. Accepting and acknowledging your emotions without feeling guilt or shame can help you transition to coping with them and taking action to reduce them.
- Set realistic goals! Change doesn't occur easily or quickly in most cases which is why it is so important to set realistic and achievable goals at the onset. This practice will help you understand what you are looking to change and how you may start incorporating new activities into your daily life without feeling overwhelmed or setting yourself up for potential discouragement.
- Examples of realistic goals can be the following:
- Reducing social media time by at least 30 minutes a day for the next two weeks
- Calling a friend or family member on the weekend at least once this month
- Making plans to go out after work at least once in the next 2 weeks
- Going for a walk during your lunch break every other Wednesday.
- Examples of realistic goals can be the following:
- Set realistic goals! Change doesn't occur easily or quickly in most cases which is why it is so important to set realistic and achievable goals at the onset. This practice will help you understand what you are looking to change and how you may start incorporating new activities into your daily life without feeling overwhelmed or setting yourself up for potential discouragement.
- Allowing yourself to validate your feelings is an important part of increasing your insight. Accepting and acknowledging your emotions without feeling guilt or shame can help you transition to coping with them and taking action to reduce them.
- Physical Activity
-
- Incorporate movement into your daily life - everyone has heard about parking further in a lot to give you extra steps to the store but are you doing that? Going to the gym 3-4 times a week might not be a realistic goal for you so what are other ways you can increase movement in your daily life without feeling a total shift?
- YouTube yoga videos
- Going for a walk around the neighborhood
- Walking to the grocery store when you only need fresh fruit and vegetables
- Give your pet a longer walk if you have one!
- Read a book outside.
- Work on assignments at a coffee shop, the library or somewhere outside.
- Find new activities around the area - DC is known for its extensive sports leagues including Volo and Fray which have activities from pickleball, volleyball, kickball, soccer, cornhole, and more! This is a great way to be active and make new friends.
- Speak to a mental health professional about what you are experiencing and learn more tips on how to navigate feelings of loneliness and establish coping mechanisms to help you move forward.
- Incorporate movement into your daily life - everyone has heard about parking further in a lot to give you extra steps to the store but are you doing that? Going to the gym 3-4 times a week might not be a realistic goal for you so what are other ways you can increase movement in your daily life without feeling a total shift?
- Substance use
-
- When you are feeling lonely, it can sometimes feel like turning to drugs or alcohol would be helpful to get rid of those feelings. Unfortunately, when using substances becomes your coping mechanism, you might be at risk of falling into a reliance on substances that can negatively impact your overall mental health and well-being. As with most things, substances should be used irregularly if at all.
- Potential warning signs that you or a loved one may be using or abusing substances to cope with further mental health struggles:
- Using substances throughout the day or right when waking up
- Self-isolating and using substances alone
- Noticing a strain in any relationship due in part to alcohol or drug use
- Feeling as if there is no option to lessen or stop the use
- Missing work or school due to feeling bad after using or choosing to use substances over attending to responsibilities
- Having frequent thoughts about using substances that distract from living in the present (for instance, watching a movie but only thinking about using substances)
- Noticing a reduction in engaging in pleasurable activities that you used to like such as reading, working out, traveling, etc.
- Potential warning signs that you or a loved one may be using or abusing substances to cope with further mental health struggles:
- When you are feeling lonely, it can sometimes feel like turning to drugs or alcohol would be helpful to get rid of those feelings. Unfortunately, when using substances becomes your coping mechanism, you might be at risk of falling into a reliance on substances that can negatively impact your overall mental health and well-being. As with most things, substances should be used irregularly if at all.
- Resources