Loneliness. How do I connect with others?
Loneliness, many of us felt lonely during the corona crisis. According to the RIVM about 80 percent of the student population felt lonely in this time period Do you recognize this? Perhaps you still feel lonely. Or you are afraid to be alone. But what does loneliness actually mean? And what can you do with it? This blog might give you some ideas on how to connect with others.
What is loneliness?
Loneliness means that you miss a strong emotional connection with someone or have less contact with others than desired. Wouldn’t it be nice if you would feel more connected with others? Being surrounded by a group of people to whom you can open up and have a lovely time with. People who make you laugh and with whom you can make beautiful memories
Which steps can you take
First of all it’s important to investigate what could be the reason for your loneliness. What do you think is the main reason for your loneliness and what do you need to feel more in touch with others? Try to formulate this. If this gives you any trouble you can try to compare your current situation with your desired situation. Which differences do you see?
You may feel a bit vulnerable to meet or open up to people. To feel encouraged to meet new people it could help to be aware of your personal qualities and social skills. Make a list of your personal strengths
Do you have certain (negative) thoughts about yourself that withhold you from initiating friendships or opening up to others? It’s important to challenge these thoughts. What could you say to yourself to realize these thoughts might not be reflecting reality? Did you for instance experience situations in the past where the contrary appeared to be the case? Go from self-criticism to self-compassion.
Where do you meet people?
Now that you have more clarity on your needs, thoughts and strengths you can apply these to get in contact with others. But where are you supposed to meet new people? Below are some options:
- Get in touch with people who share your interests. You can join a club or an organization/society.
- Do you have any special interest or hobbies? You can connect with people online. There are groups, websites and even forums about almost every hobby or subject you can think of.
- Join a sports club.
- Reconnect with former friends.
- Deepen your current friendships by contacting them more often.
- Join activities in your neighborhood.
After all this information I hope to have provided you with a refreshing look on how to work on further strengthening connectivity with others. In case you would like to make a concrete plan on how to broaden/deepen your social circle, we will gladly support you with a coaching trajectory at Siggie.