Loneliness Awareness Week – Advice and Support

As the warm, sunny weather seems to be here to stay, it’s that time of year where we meet up with family for BBQs, go on day trips with friends and have long walks on the beach. Summer is known to be the social season, however, this is the ideal expectation of summer, but for some, summer is a time of loneliness and anxiety. A survey from the Anxiety Centre found that 73% of participants reported having heightened anxiety in the summertime. This could be for a number of reasons, such as stress hormones rising with summer temperatures, sleep deprivation and of course, fear of missing out. As a result of these symptoms, some people find themselves becoming isolated from those around them and their feelings of loneliness become even more prominent.

June 12^th –18^th is Loneliness Awareness Week (LAW) which was created by leading loneliness charity, Marmalade Trust, to help build supportive communities through open conversations with family, friends and colleagues about loneliness. When asked to picture a lonely person, we might typically imagine an older person, but this isn’t always the case. Anyone can feel lonely no matter their age, it’s a completely normal emotion and is nothing to be ashamed of, we’ve been brought up to be social society, so when we lack human interaction that can make us feel lesser. Loneliness can look different from person to person and be triggered for different reasons, whether it’s missing your loved ones, feeling disconnected from the world or a general sense of emptiness, and this is why over 9 million people reported feeling lonely some or most the time. To help you better recognise when yourself or others are feeling lonely, here’s a list of symptoms to look out for:

• Low confidence
• Lack of focus and/or purpose
• Increased tiredness
• Feeling trapped or alone
• Easily frustrated

It’s all about looking out for these tell-tale signs and knowing what to do with them, sometimes we can know that we’re lonely but can be unsure of how to solve the problem. Here are some ways to help pull you out of loneliness.

1. Talk to Someone and Build Connections

Talking to someone and opening up about how you’re feeling can be difficult as it requires you to be vulnerable. But as research shows, everyone has or will experience loneliness in their lifetime, so have a chat with someone you trust, it’ll make you feel better and the person will have a better understanding of you. In return, this will help to strengthen your relationship with this person, and building connections and networks with friends, family, neighbours and colleagues will aid in combatting your feelings of loneliness.

2. Start a New Hobby or Join a New Club

Another way to build connections and get out and about is by joining a club or trying out a new hobby. This could include anything and everything, from sports clubs, art classes, book clubs and dance classes, just to name a few! By taking up a new hobby or joining a new club, you’ll be pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and it’ll provide the opportunity to meet new people, further broadening your network. It’ll also be something to look forward to every week/month and will give you the motivation you need to get out the house and do some all-important socialising.

3. Don’t Compare Yourself to Others

Another reason loneliness is most prevalent during the summer months is because we see friends, family, even acquaintances, having the best time via posting on social media. However, not everything you see online is 100% true and only shows the best bits, so it’s important to remember to not compare yourself to others when you’re feeling down or lonely. Sometimes people feel the need to post to prove that they’re having fun, so keep this in mind when you’re feeling lonely and maybe reach out to a friend and see if they want to make a plan to help make you feel better.

4. Find Peace in Your Downtime

Sometimes you won’t feel like going out and making plans, but that can still bring on feelings of loneliness. However, a little bit of downtime every now and then is beneficial for your wellbeing just as much as socialising. If you find yourself on your own, why not take yourself out for shopping and lunch, you’ll still be around people, but you can enjoy your own company. Or if you feel like staying in the comfort of your own home, you could put on a face mask, watch your favourite TV show, read a new book or play the latest video game. Your own company can be just as good as anyone else's, of course make time for other people, but also make time for yourself.

5. Take Part in a Community Event

And finally, get involved in projects and events with your community. Here at Linc, we pride ourselves on offering our customers a variety of events and activities to get take part in throughout the year. So, keep an eye out on our social media channels for news of any upcoming events or get in touch with your neighbourhood officer for information on nearby events.

 Hopefully some of these tips will help you when you’re feeling lonely and also recognise when someone around you is suffering from loneliness. For more information on how Linc can support you, get in touch for a chat.