Aloneness comes from isolation. If you eliminate isolation, necessarily, you cease to be alone. Loneliness, however, is a feeling, and not always a logical response to your circumstances. Loneliness is an easy trap to fall in, even when your life is full of social engagements.
Whether you are dealing with the objective circumstance of being alone or the subjective feeling of loneliness, differentiating between the two allows you to address the issue proactively. Here are five activities that’ll help you avoid isolation and simultaneously dampen any feelings of loneliness through meaningful connection with others.
1. Get out and do something.
Staying at home all day, especially over a long weekend, will make you feel cut off. Get out of the house and do something! It’s a great time to go pumpkin-picking.
2. Interact.
Spend time with family or call up a friend. Don’t wait for others to initiate. Be proactive and make an effort to include people in your life.
3. Get moving.
Do some exercise. Exercise will inject your body with energy and get you moving. Doing it with a friend or at a gym adds a social component. Sometimes motion just dissipates negative emotion.
4. Choose a social hobby.
Most importantly, choose something you enjoy. A hobby with social interaction is a plus. Try new stuff. Leave your comfort zone. I have a newly divorced friend who loves skydiving. Another friend has recently taken up camping and hiking. Try painting in groups.
5. Get more involved at work.
Working engages the mind and body. It’s also an opportunity for interaction with other people. Take breaks to grab coffee with a new coworker, or take someone you work with closely but don’t know personally out to lunch.
It’ll improve your working relationships and allow you to build meaningful connections at the place you probably spend the majority of your time.