How to Overcome Loneliness and Start Living Again

There is hardly any individual in this world who has never felt lonely at some point in time, whatever the reason. Therefore the feeling of loneliness that pervades almost all of us occasionally is quite normal.

However, if the feelings of isolation or seclusion seem to drag on for far too long, they can keep you from leading a healthy and normal life. In this case, there is a possibility that you are suffering from clinical depression. So we all need to know the answer to an important question –how to overcome loneliness?

Loneliness typified by feelings of friendlessness, abandonment, rejection, forsakenness, and depression above all, can be self-defeating, preventing you from living the life you deserve and can achieve. Do not ignore your feelings of loneliness, but don’t accept the feeling either. Like any emotion, it got their through habits and conditioning, and you can reverse it the same way.

Since feeling abandoned or lonesome is more often than not subjective, each and every person has his or her unique way of dealing with the complex web of emotions.

Nevertheless, there are some common strategies of coping with loneliness, despair, and feelings of dejection that any individual can adopt alongside seeking medical intervention.

Coping with The Feeling Of Loneliness and Depression

1. Come to terms with your loneliness

The first step that you can and should confront your lonesomeness is coming to terms with it. In other words, sit down in a place, collect yourself, and try to figure out as to what exactly is making you feel lonely and isolated. Bear in mind that seclusion just cannot stem from nothing – there is always some past incident or event that triggers such feelings thereby causing you to feel secluded.

Attempt to understand as to how your intellect is endeavoring to find a semblance of coherence with what is going on inside your head. Why are you feeling the way you are feeling? Are you feeling guilty for not having achieved something which you should have? Or are you being constantly plagued by self-destructive thoughts? Are you reading too much into or getting too affected by what others comment about you? Try to trace the original thoughts that you think are responsible for stimulating depressive feelings.

How to Overcome Loneliness: Introspect and find the reason behind your loneliness.

2. Track your frustrating and depressive thoughts

Understand that your thoughts bordering on isolation and dejection could keep you wallowed in frustration. Constantly keeping yourself mired in such thoughts could be self-defeating and energy sapping, discouraging you from thinking and doing anything constructive. If you feel unhappy, simply do not assume that something is wrong with you but rather try to analyze and track the chain of thoughts that could be behind your loneliness.

How to Overcome Loneliness: Track the root cause of the downward spiral of thoughts.

3. Go social and try to establish a rapport with those close to you

You might be well aware that one of the best ways to deal with your forlornness is to pull yourself out of the morass and take the initiative to strike up a conversation with someone-it could be a friend or even a perfect stranger.

How to Overcome Loneliness: Step out of your comfort zone and meet people.

4. Interact with others suffering from the same problems as yours

Nowadays, it is easier to find like-minded persons who share the same interests as yours, thanks to the versatility of automated social media and internet.

How to Overcome Loneliness: Meet like-minded introverts.

5. Seek solace in spirituality

Human beings down the ages have sought and found bliss in spirituality. The popular quote “You cannot be lonely if you like the person you are alone with” is not only true, but it points to the fact that when you are spiritually strong and love who YOU are, you don’t need any others to complete you. Many others will come, as a result of your new found love and peace within yourself, but you don’t RELY on them to make you happy and complete.

How to Overcome Loneliness: Find what energizes your spirit and focus on it, do it more.

6. Meditate

Attempting to focus your mind on a particular aspect and cultivating the habit of meditating just for 15-20 minutes could go a long way in helping you to have some degree of control over your chain of thoughts.

How to Overcome Loneliness: Meditation will bring clarity to mixed emotions and provide you with intuitive solutions.

7. Keep a pet

Taking care of a pet dog or cat can be an excellent way of relieving feelings of loneliness. Pets show their love without any conditions and they don’t judge you on any social paramters of status, wealth, or looks.

How to Overcome Loneliness: A pet will give unconditional love to you.

8. Come out of your shell and shift the focus from yourself

All those who are lonely or feel detached often tend to be excessively egocentric and self-focused. Instead of constantly thinking about your problems and welfare, spare a thought for others, at least for those who have your best interests at heart.

How to Overcome Loneliness: Focus on others. Volunteer for an NGO, start giving.