Toolkit to Help Overcome Loneliness

• Take some time to focus on your feelings, to understand what is making you feel this way. Learning how to practice meditation can be immensely helpful.
• Try not to reject invitations or offers of help. Those who feel lonely will often push people away. They are afraid to let others get too close.
• Arrange to meet an old friend. You are much more likely to tell someone what is really going on if you spend proper time with them, have eye contact, and know they are listening to you.
• Trust is the key to building relationships. When you are ready, take a risk, and tell someone what is really going on in your life. This could be a medical practitioner if you want to be 100 percent certain of confidentiality.
• Taking up walking, running, or any form of mildly aerobic exercise can help to beat the blues. It will help to increase the levels of endorphins in your body, and give you a natural lift.
• Check if some aspects of your own behaviour is unfavourable to you. Are you adding to your own sense of isolation?
• Make an effort to look good. Even when you are at home alone, it can make a difference to how you feel about yourself.
• Check if you need help with overeating, drinking, or other issues.
• Pay attention to small things in your life that give you pleasure -listening to birds chirping, nature walk, colours around you, a piece of music- and focus on their detail.
• Don’t let yourself stay indoors all day. Go outside, be in the company of other people.
• A good laugh works wonders- watch your favourite movie that is guaranteed to make you laugh.