5 Steps to Help Counteract Isolation and Loneliness

Many people, even before Covid, found themselves feeling isolated and lonely. Where as an adult do you make friends? Where do you find like minded people to hang out with? We could do a whole post just on that one topic alone.

And now… we throw in months of quarantine and everyone facing their own fears and maybe not reaching out to others as they are consumed with surviving. So now even people who had friends and a support system may not any longer.

Loneliness creeps in and with it our self value plummets as we don’t feel valued by anyone.

So how can you counteract those feelings of loneliness and isolation?

• Spend 15 minutes a day talking with or writing to a loved one. You may have to make the first contact. Everyone is consumed with what is happening to ‘them’, and may also be feeling lonely and isolated but not know what to do about it.  Even that small amount of connection can make a big difference. Call, write, have a zoom or messenger chat. Connect with others.
• Find ways to serve others. Check in on a neighbour, see if they need anything, ask if they are doing okay. Drop food off to someone. Write notes, send cards, write a letter to friends to let them know we are thinking of them. Maybe, you don’t even know them that well. You could even leave a nice card in your neighbor's mailbox, feeling like you need more connection? Leave a card in every neighbors mailbox.
• Allow people to help you. This can be a difficult thing to do, women especially struggle with receiving help. But, it can make you and the giver feel good. This can help strengthen your connection to others.
• Do things that make you happy. Even if it means doing it by yourself. There is so much to do in this world, and you don’t want to miss out on it. And you just might meet other like minded people.
• Allow your feelings, if you feel lonely allow yourself to feel it and move through it. Let it visit and leave. You can’t control how you feel, you can only control how it affects you. This allows you to have more power over your loneliness and it will lose its impact on you.

If needed, seek help, do not let yourself get lost in the despair of loneliness. 

This weeks creative exercise

Create and send a hug.

Supples: paper, scissors, string/wool, colors (paint, crayons, pencil crayons or markers)

Trace both your hands onto a piece of paper.

Decorate those hands with symbols of love and caring, maybe some inspirational and king=d words.

Cut out the hands

Measure a piece of yarn/string the length of your arms span (from the wrist on one hand to the wrist on the other. Cut the string/yarn that length and attach one end to each cut out hand.

Write a note to a friend or family member letting them know that you can’t be with them at this time but you are including this hug.

Mail it off.

Have an Amazingly Creative Day,

Larissa