When it comes to life, it’s not always plain sailing. It’s something that can be challenging at times and if you’re not surrounding yourself with others, it can feel pretty lonely. Even when you are surrounded by people, it’s not always the right people, and therefore those feelings of loneliness can creep back in.
It’s true that even in a room full of people, a person can feel lonely. If this sounds like you or it’s something that you’re currently feeling, then it’s definitely worth considering what might help you to feel less lonely in life.
Get a dog or cat
One of the great benefits of getting a household pet is that it provides that source of comfort when you’re not feeling your best. When it comes to loneliness, pets are often considered one of the best solutions for those looking to banish that loneliness for good. If you’re not that much of a people person, getting a dog or cat is probably the perfect solution.
Getting a dog or cat isn’t something that should be done lightly though. It’s a decision that can change your life forever and everything you do in the future will be controlled by the dog or cat, just like having a child does.
With that being said, it’s good to do some research on which pet and breed of pet is best for you. For example, there are a lot of useful resources available, this one in particular if you love chocolate labs, https://chocolatelabradorretriever.ca/lab-retrievers-hamilton/.
Be sure to weigh up the pros and cons of getting a dog or cat before you go ahead with the purchase or adoption. It’s a decision that you want to take seriously and to consider greatly before going ahead with it.
Try making new friends online
If you struggle to make friends in the real world, then it might be worthwhile to try making new friends online. Sometimes, having those connections with online friends first makes the whole ice-breaking part of forming friendships a lot easier.
Some people find it very easy to make friends, whereas other people may struggle a great deal to do so. If you don’t find it easy to connect with people you don’t know for the first time, then explore online forums and even sites that are created for dating or forming friendships.
Making new friends online isn’t something to be ashamed of too, as it can often be an equally great way of bonding with people. However, it’s always important that if you’re meeting up with people online, you’re doing it in a public setting and that you step away discreetly if they end up not being who they say they are.
Suggest dinner with work colleagues
Sometimes, it’s nice to get dinner with work colleagues, depending on how close you may be to them. Of course, some people would rather separate their relationships from those at work and have nothing to do with anyone in the workplace personally.
However, you may make some close friends and confidants within the workplace, which is why you shouldn’t totally rule out spending time with your work colleagues.
With that being said, think about suggesting dinner with a work colleague or two. It might just be that they too have been looking to get closer to their work friends and therefore want to spend some time with them over food or drinks.
Speak to your family about connecting more
Connection is important and when it comes to your family, these are the people that you would typically spend the most time connecting with. Not everyone has the best relationship with family members but if you do, then reach out to your loved ones and ask that more time is spent connecting with them.
Whether you live a little too far away from home or you simply don’t make the effort to pick up your phone to call or video call, it’s important that both parties are playing their part in reaching out and seeing how the other one is doing.
Try to organize some time within your calendar to spend it with family so that you’ve always got something booked in ahead of time.
Give ‘yes’ a go
It’s easy enough to say no to social gatherings or an opportunity to meet up with a friend, colleague, or family member. However, there are some occasions where you might be affecting the relationship by saying no all the time.
Giving ‘yes’ a go instead is a great way to push yourself into those social situations when perhaps you’re not always comfortable in doing so. While for some people it can be hard to socialize, everyone needs human connection in their lives.
Go traveling with a group
For those who want to push themselves socially and don’t feel like they do enough in their life currently, why not go traveling with a group? For some, the thought of that might sound like too much but for others, it could be just what they need to start connecting with like-minded people.
While solo travel can be fun, it can also cause loneliness. To avoid that loneliness, look at companies that offer travel opportunities within groups. That type of travel will give you the best of both worlds as you travel with others but get the opportunity to explore areas alone if desired.
Journal your feelings
If you have trouble expressing your feelings of loneliness to others, why not journal it instead? Journaling or writing a diary could be helpful in getting your feelings onto paper and working out what it is that’s possibly missing from your life.
Sometimes, being vulnerable to others is challenging but a journal or diary won’t judge you for what you say. Think about journaling if it’s something that intrigues you.
Feeling less lonely in life is something to aspire to do. If you’re someone who is feeling lonely this year, make sure to use these tips and see the difference it makes!
