Whether you struggle making social connections or feel misunderstood at times, it’s completely normal to face feelings of loneliness. However, managing emotions and prioritizing your emotional awareness can be essential to your mental health. While feeling lonely can be isolating, these strategies help individuals combat loneliness and overcome these difficult feelings.
Connect with Others
Building meaningful connections is key to combating loneliness. Finding local support groups or online communities that focus on your interests or specific needs is a great start in finding other individuals who may be dealing with similar feelings. Additionally, connecting with those with similar interests as you creates something to converse over. By immersing yourself in environments where you regularly participate, you can find opportunities to build relationships and socialize with like-minded people. Some examples include:
- Participating in a book club
- Joining a sports team (click here to learn about adaptive sports teams)
- Taking an art or music class
- Volunteering in the community
- Connecting with an online community
Find New Hobbies
A great way to counteract feeling lonely is through finding activities to keep you busy. Through each season, there’s a plethora of new hobbies and activities that can fill your free time. These activities may also help take your mind off any negative feelings or thoughts. Some summer hobbies may be:
- Gardening
- Bike riding
- Any outdoor sports
- Going for a walk
- Visiting a park or zoo
When the weather gets cold and you prefer to stay indoors, other hobbies include:
- Any indoor physical activities
- Reading
- Arts and crafts
- Journaling
- Cooking or baking
- Visiting museums
Reach Out to Friends and Family
While this may seem like an evident option, simply reaching out to friends and family members can help combat feelings of loneliness and strengthen your social connections. Whether through a quick phone call or text message, staying in touch helps maintain the bonds that are essential for your emotional and social well-being. A simple check-in about how one is doing, how their day is going, or what they have going on for the week are great ways to get a conversation started and feel less alone.
Covey Community
Covey’s mission is to use our knowledge, compassion, and caring nature to create a community filled with growth and opportunity for individuals with disabilities. We host a variety of programs, events, and activities for individuals to come together and connect with others. Our “Let’s Talk About It” initiative creates conversations to inform and educate individuals with disabilities about forming healthy relationships and connections. Join our community today— we welcome you with open arms!
