Keep your mind engaged

Spend time outside

Problem

You may have no friends or family you can spend time with.

Why it is bad

If there’s nobody for you to see, you may not have a lot of motivation to leave the house. But if you isolate, you’ll end up feeling even more lonely.

Solution

Make a decision to leave the house and spend time outside, whether you have someone to meet up with or not. Take a walk around the neighborhood or go to a nearby park. You can go anywhere, as long as you’re getting outside.

Benefits

When you leave the house, you’re giving yourself the opportunity to connect with people in an organic way. You never know who you might meet! Plus, you won’t be so focused on your emotions so your mood will improve.

Stop looking to social media to feel connected

Problem

When you’re lonely, you may spend more time on social media.

Why it is bad

Spending a lot of time on social media can make you feel more lonely if you start to compare your situation negatively to others.

Solution

Try taking a social media detox if you find you feel worse after scrolling through social media platforms. To avoid the temptation of going onto social media, delete any social apps off your phone and laptop, or temporarily deactivate your accounts. If you feel the urge to browse social media, try calling a friend instead.

Benefits

If the time you spend on social media is contributing to feelings of loneliness, then stopping it will help you feel less alone by pushing you to connect with people in reality.

Try creating new daily routines

Problem

Sometimes people experience loneliness when they go through a significant event, such as the death of a loved one, a relationship break-up, or something similar.

Why it is bad

Experiencing a significant event can contribute to loneliness by interrupting routines that once offered a sense of connection, security and comfort.

Solution

Try creating new routines. Come up with a daily routine that includes time for work or studies; exercise; eating; sleeping; relaxing; hobbies; and socializing. Pay special attention to your free time and be intentional with it.

Benefits

Creating a new routine can offer some comfort, help you manage negative emotions and decrease loneliness.

Attend a place of worship

Have you tried attending a place of worship?

When you’re lonely, you may miss a sense of community.

Your loneliness may become depression.

Here’s a tip if you’re interested in spirituality: Consider attending a church, mosque, temple, or synagogue, whose regular gatherings are open to the public.
They’re usually very welcoming; community and relationships matter.

You’ll find it easy to integrate and meet like-minded people to connect with.

Spend time with animals

Problem

You may not have many close friends or family in your life.

Why it is bad

When you don’t have the companionship of close friends or family, it can make you feel disconnected from others and the world around you. Over time, this can lead to depression.

Solution

Animals can make great substitute companions. So if you like animals, try spending more time with them. Consider getting a pet if you’re ready for the responsibility and you can afford it. If not, you can volunteer at an animal shelter, or try out a cat cafe if there’s one in your area.

Benefits

When you interact with animals, it releases the same feel-good hormones that are released when interacting with people. So, spending time with animals can boost your mood as well as feelings of connectedness.

Volunteer when you feel lonely

Problem

When you’re lonely, you may not have many close friends.

Why it is bad

If you don’t have any close friends, you may start to feel that nobody cares about you and that you don’t belong anywhere.

Solution

Try volunteering for a cause that means something to you. Perhaps you have a soft spot for orphans, the elderly, animals, or something else. Do a Google search to see if there’s a charitable organization that supports the cause you’re interested in. Then, reach out to ask about opportunities to serve.

Benefits

Volunteering can help you feel less lonely because you become part of a worthy cause which increases feelings of belonging. It can also help you make friends with people with shared interests.

Join a club or organization

Problem

It may feel like there’s nobody who can relate to you or understand you.

Why it is bad

Having nobody that you connect with on a deep level can make you feel alone.

Solution

Join a club or organization that interests you. If you love hiking, join a hiking club and get involved in upcoming events. If you identify with a certain religious group, look into joining a local church, mosque, or temple in your area.

Benefits

Joining a club or organization that interests you can help you meet like-minded people that you can connect with. It’s easier to connect with people who share similar interests, and meeting people who are similar to you will help you feel less alone.

Fill your house with sound

Problem

You may spend a lot of time on your own.

Why it is bad

When you spend a lot of time on your own, you’re more likely to notice how lonely you feel and to experience sadness as a result.

Solution

The next time you have to spend time on your own and you’re at home, try filling your house with sound. Put on your favorite playlist and turn the volume up. Open the windows to let in the sounds of nature and people.

Benefits

Early research shows that noise can help reduce loneliness because it makes us feel more connected to others and the world around us.

Talk to people you don't know

Have you tried talking to strangers?

If you’ve been lonely for a while, you may feel disconnected.

This can lead to mental health challenges like depression.

Here’s a tip: Look for opportunities to connect with people you don’t know. Strike up a conversation with your barista; smile at strangers; ask a cashier how their day’s going.

What about benefits?
These small interactions help reduce feelings of loneliness because they promote connectedness.

Share more with others

Have you tried sharing more?

Sometimes people feel lonely because they’re disconnected from others.

They may be prone to depression.

Here’s a tip: Try sharing things that happen in your life more often. They don’t have to be big: maybe you had a great sleep, or woke up and your orchids were in full bloom, or you had a nightmare. Be present and you’ll find things to share with others.

When we do this, we feel connected. People can give us feedback and support so we feel less alone and less prone to depression.

Invite a friend to walk with you

Have you tried inviting a friend for a walk?

It can be hard to open up and share how we’re feeling. This can contribute to feelings of loneliness.

Here’s a tip: Invite someone you know — even an acquaintance — to walk around the neighborhood, in a park, or elsewhere.

Research shows it’s easier to open up and connect on a deeper level when walking with another person. This will help you feel less lonely.

Get social online

When you’re lonely, you might spend a lot of time on your own.

The thought of socializing can cause anxiety.

Here’s a tip: Socialize online until you feel comfortable interacting face to face. You could play a multiplayer game, or join a forum for people experiencing loneliness, or an online event.

If you’ve been lonely for some time, socializing online can be a small but positive step. You can interact on your own terms without going too far out of your comfort zone.

Reach out to an old friend

Problem

When you’re lonely, you may tend to isolate more.

Why it is bad

The more you isolate and spend time alone, the harder it is to motivate yourself to go out and meet people and to form connections that will help you feel less lonely.

Solution

Try reaching out to an old friend who you shared a positive relationship with. Simply send a message asking if they have time for a catch up phone call, or in-person meet up if they live nearby.

Benefits

It’s often easier to reconnect with old friends than to make new ones. So, if you’re lacking the energy and motivation to build new relationships, reaching out to an old friend is a great idea.

Open up to a friend

Problem

Sometimes people feel lonely when they’re not connecting with others on a deep level.

Why it is bad

If you don’t share with others on a more personal level, then you’re not giving them the chance to support you in ways that will help you feel less lonely.

Solution

Try opening up to a friend about how you feel. It doesn’t have to be something huge, it could just be telling a friend how your day went. Choose to open up someone who is warm and compassionate.

Benefits

When you open up to others, they can offer you care, understanding, and acceptance which will make you feel supported and less alone.