LONELINESS is a major health concern. What to do when you feel LONELY?

 

Loneliness is a major health concern facing people nowadays. A person surrounded by loneliness becomes the cause of his destruction; he/she starts thinking negatively instead of positively in life. Loneliness gives unwelcome feelings and negative thoughts. As a result, the person who is alone does not like anything good.

Other factors also contribute to loneliness are situational variables, such as physical isolation, moving to a new location, and divorce. The death of someone significant in a person’s life can also lead to feelings of loneliness. Loneliness can also be attributed to internal factors such as low self-esteem, anxiety, emotional distress, addictions, or depression.

According to the World Health Organization, suicide is the third leading cause of death for young people worldwide and loneliness is the biggest cause of this. Since it is a simple word ‘loneliness’, people do not take it seriously, but looking at the recent situations, countries around the world have now started taking it seriously.

 

 

WORLD SCENARIO OF LONELINESS

Many studies say that feeling lonely is equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes and can increase your risk of death by up to 29%.  The study also says that loneliness is associated with an increased risk of mental health problems, including feelings of anxiety, low self-esteem, sleep problems, and increased stress.

According to WHO, more than 200 million people in India are suffering from mental illnesses including depression. A recent survey says that nearly 40% of adults in Japan feel lonely as social interaction remains limited due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Recently, Japan has formed a ministry to overcome loneliness, its name is 'Ministry of Loneliness', although Japanese people are considered to be hardworking and honest, loneliness is making them hollow inside.

According to a recent survey, more than three out of five Americans now consider themselves lonely. US insurance agency Cigna claims loneliness is taking the form of an epidemic in the US. Despite all the resources, the number of people feeling lonely increased by 13% in one year. The second shocking thing is that the highest number of such people is those youth who are more active on social media. Sweden tops the list when it comes to the loneliest countries in the world.

According to a survey by Nuffic, the Dutch organization for internationalization in education, around 70% of students have felt lonely in the past few years. A large group of the participants also indicated feelings of depression. Loneliness has been identified as a critical issue for Australians. One in four Australian reported problematic levels of loneliness even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. A Chinese study shows that community-dwelling elderlies in Singapore have also been found lonely. The percentage is 51%.

 

 

 

SYMPTOMS OF LONELINESS

Loneliness is an unpleasant emotional response to perceived isolation. It is also described as social pain—a psychological mechanism that motivates individuals to seek social connections. It is often associated with an unwanted lack of connection and intimacy. Most people experience loneliness at some point in their lives and some feel it very often. The effects of loneliness are also varied.

If you have experienced ongoing feelings of loneliness, it can have negative effects on your physical health. It could lead to weight gain, sleep deprivation, poor heart health, and a weakened immune system. Loneliness can also put your body under more stress than normal.

If these are the symptoms, then you may be a victim of loneliness:

• §  You are finding it difficult to get your point across to the people.
• §  You are not able to connect deeply with people.
• §  You are not able to maintain friendship well.
• §  It seems that people do not understand you.
• §  Despite being present among dozens of people, you enjoy being alone.
• §  Negative feelings rule your mind.
• §  You feel tired or bored even when trying to engage in social activities.
• §  You may not be getting enough social support.
• §  You are not able to build good relations with colleagues.
• §  You feel like you are misunderstood.
• §  Lack of balance between work and life is also a symptom of loneliness.
• §  Lack of a reliable partner also gives a feeling of loneliness.

 

HOW DO YOU OVERCOME YOUR LONELINESS?

My own experience says that loneliness can cripple a person. Loneliness increases the chances of lowering both self-esteem and self-confidence. We are all born as relational beings and this is also an essential need of ours.

Even if there is a situation of loneliness, then try to find something that will make you laugh and change your mood. Make a list of comedy movies and watch them time and again. These movies never fail to make you laugh. Watch some of your favorite old movies which are evergreen. Also, try and meditate at a certain time, every day. Start writing your memoirs regularly.

Apart from this, connect meaningfully with family and friends. Although technology can help reduce loneliness to a very small extent, it is incomplete. Connect with someone in a way that works best for you whether that work is done by phone, through video chat, or a mobile application. If possible, go to a park near your home and talk to people. Besides looking for people here and there, keep in touch with your neighbors and friends who live nearby. Keep yourself busy. Maybe, pursue a hobby or go back to an old one. Complete one of your tasks well first. Cultivate a hobby of writing and spend time in it. Do things you love and allow yourself to engross in a new activity. Take your creativity to the top and do your best to make it shine.

Don't let the negativity get to you. Try and find yourself among people who make you happy. Also, do something that makes you happy. Stop listening to the sad stories in the news. Mostly all of it is fabricated. You must focus on yourself or some project work can be amazingly therapeutic for you.  

Be kind, understanding, and patient. Work on treating yourself and others with compassion. Engaging in enjoyable conversations can also help you. Develop a routine that provides balance and familiarity. Create a daily plan that includes physical activity, time to connect with loved ones, a project or hobby, and enjoyment of leisure.

 

 

BANISHING LONELINESS SHOULD BE A PUBLIC HEALTH PRIORITY

Decreasing loneliness should be a public health priority. If unaddressed, loneliness may contribute to a firearms-related suicide crisis. Loneliness is complicated grief as well as intense sorrow. You do not have to be alone to feel lonely. It is nothing to do with interaction with other people. Loneliness is also about our relationship with ourselves.

Although loneliness can be a consequence of many factors, there is no one size fits all solution, but we can start somewhere. So, to address loneliness, we should enrich our relationships and social networks. We can all make a difference in feeling more socially connected, and we can also help others who may feel lonely.

Living arrangements play a part as well and they should be looked into. Befriending programs have also helped to make them feel less excluded. In Singapore, community befriending programs have helped make the disadvantaged elderly less lonely. There are about 4,000 ambassadors who go out and talk to people. It's about letting the older people feel that someone cares for them, that they are not left out.

There is an urgent need to socialize with elderly residents. Also, it is important to consider how to help them develop new skills. There must be an emphasis on supporting each other on social and health issues. Singapore instituted the ‘Retirement and Reemployment Act’ a few years ago to provide people with more opportunities to go back to work after the statutory retirement age of 62.

It is a matter of great relief that social isolation and loneliness for older people in our country are being prioritized as a public health problem and recognized as a policy issue. In various cities of India such as Varanasi, Patna, Kolkata, and Mumbai, ground-level action plans are being made toward building social connections and alleviating loneliness. Our culture doesn't allow us to be individualized and we still need physical proximity. This needs to be given serious thought.