Find Balance in Your Life to Combat Loneliness

Loneliness is a common experience that can make you feel like you’re alone and isolated, even if you’re surrounded by others. You can feel like you lack meaning, purpose, or direction in your life, or that you lack meaningful connections with people.

Loneliness is associated with many negative health outcomes. A study found that lonely adults get less exercise, eat more fat in their diets, sleep less, and report more daytime fatigue than adults who were not lonely.

Use these tips to help if you find yourself feeling lonely:

Quality Over Quantity

Who is in your circle of support? It’s really not about the number of people in our circle, but the quality of interactions we have with people that matter to us. Reach out to someone and schedule an enjoyable activity.

  • Go for a walk on a trail.
  • Go to a local coffee shop.
  • Play a game together on your phones.
  • Watch a movie (this can be done in-person or through technology).
  • Have a virtual dinner.
  • Practice the skill of Hunt The Good Stuff (HTGS) by asking, “What are three good things going on in your life?”

Your Coworkers Count Too

Strengthen the relationships you have at work. A report by Cigna in 2020 showed that people who felt they didn’t have good relationships at work were more likely to be lonely than those who did. 

Find a Good Balance

Are you achieving balance in your life? Reflect on the five dimensions of personal readiness (physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and family).

In each dimension:

  • What do you need to stop doing?
  • What do you need to start doing?
  • What is one thing you can do every week to address this dimension?

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 for support and assistance.

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