Lonely island

 Loneliness. It’s kind of inevitable at some point. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s just something that happens. I don’t want this post to be a depressing one but it is something that happens, especially when you live alone. And it is something I have felt once or twice in the last year and a half since moving out. 

 If I’m being honest, I haven’t felt this feeling very often. I work a lot and Strathclyde certainly keeps me buys with assignments, so I guess being kept busy hasn’t allowed me to feel alone that often. But again, it can happen. 

 

So from that, my first word of advice… keep busy. I’m not saying work full time, attend uni and go every night to stop yourself feeling lonely, but don’t sit all day and night wallowing. Because it’s during those periods that the loneliness can set in and you’re stuck in a viscous cycle of feeling sad and alone but not wanting to see anyone because you feel like this but you know to stop feeling like this you need to see people. If you have some free time, ask to see your friends or family, do an activity, anything other than being in the house. You are much more likely to feel lonely stuck in the house than if you’re out and about. 

 

Be organised and schedule in time to see the people you care about. A slight extension from my previous point but this is so important. Don’t sit and wait for people to arrange things with you; go for it and make those plans. Knowing you have scheduled plans coming up can make you feel significantly less lonely as replacing that feeling of loneliness is excitement about your up-and-coming plans.

 

Last but certainly not least, talk to someone if you feel this way. Like I said, it is so common for people to feel alone. And being by yourself in your own company doesn’t necessarily mean you’re alone. People can feel just as lonely living with someone or being in a relationship. But talking to someone is so important. It so easy to get yourself stuck in a rut, where you feel lonely, your mood starts to dip and subconsciously you isolate yourself from others, when being around others is exactly what you need. Express your feelings to loved ones, tell them you’ve been feeling lonely and make those plans. It is so common so don’t feel embarrassed to admit that you want to see them more often. Mental health is important and something as simple going for a coffee for an hour or so can make all the difference.