Loneliness Hurts

Loneliness hurts. But we have tips to help you overcome the pain.

At The HELLO Project, our goal is to connect seniors in our community and help to bring them out of isolation and loneliness. As humans, most of us need that sense of community, connection and giving and receiving love. So, it should come as no surprise that loneliness hurts.

When you feel lonely, review the following tips to help deal with the pain and hurt it may bring.

Connect with yourself 100 percent Often times our initial reaction when we feel loneliness or isolation coming on is to try and distract ourselves. We may turn to “healthy” forms of distraction such as reading, exercising or working, or “unhealthy” forms like drinking, overeating or binge-watching television shows.

We may feel better temporarily, but often will end up with other problems like weight gain, exhaustion or addiction. When we try to control or bury our emotions, they often stick with us for years. If we pay attention to the emotion and accept it, it could be the key to letting it go.

Here are three exercises for embracing loneliness:

1. Make the emotion your main focus. This may feel awkward and uncomfortable if you are used to distracting yourself from your feelings. Take in how it is making you feel and accept it. Emote if necessary.

2. Be silent. This can be very hard for some people since we are surrounded in a world of noise, music, dings and alerts. Plan a specific amount of time to be with yourself in silence. Go for a walk. Sit on your porch. Or go to the park. Do your best to present and drink in everything around you.

3. Practice mindful meditation. Meditation has become extremely mainstream and there are many forms. You can find guided meditation online videos and podcasts. The important

Serving Our Community Regardless of Financial Circumstances

We are proud to provide comprehensive options to families from all walks of life.

(775) 322-9200 CremationSocietyNevada.com

Loneliness / from page 16 part of mindful meditation is to truly be in the moment and be patient. Don’t force it. Just be. Start with 5 minutes and gradually move up to longer times.

4. Your body is your temple. When our world is a little off, we tend to put our body on the back burner by not eating well, drinking too much, not sleeping or exercising too much or too little. The reality is we all know deep down that when we do something to benefit our body, like eat better or exercise more, we feel better, have a more positive state of mind and are more productive.

5. Be there for others. Yes, we live our own lives and have our own struggles. But, there is always someone in a more difficult position than ourselves. A simple smile and hello to a stranger or neighbor can instantly turn their day and mood around. And it can turn yours around as well. As Mahatma Gandhi wrote, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

6. Get outside. Sometimes being outside alone is easier than being with people. Studies have shown that being outside and connecting with nature slows our perception of time and brings us into the present. Go for a walk, sit in the rose gardens or the Arboretum. A little time outside each day is good for the soul.

7. Practice loving-kindness meditation. Loving-kindness meditation increases happiness in part by making people feel more connected to others—to loved ones, acquaintances and even strangers. Research suggests that when people practice loving-kindness meditation regularly, they start automatically reacting more positively to others—and their social interactions and close relationships become more satisfying.

8. Be your own #1. “If you make friends with yourself, you will never be alone,” wrote Maxwell Maltz. The ability to be alone with yourself allows you to do what you please. You can live life to the beat of your own drum. You can do what you want. Eat what you want. Go where you want. Being alone allows us to truly reset and helps us be the best versions of ourselves possible.

Remember, you are not alone. We are all in the same place. We hope that these tips have helped you. And if you are looking to connect with others in our community, we invite you to join us on It Starts with Hello, our virtual gathering every Tuesday and Thursday at noon. Please visit hellostartsnow.org for more information.

Information from this article taken from Eight Ways to Ease the Pain of Loneliness by Emma Seppala, Ph.D., https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/eight_ways_to_ease_the_ pain_of_loneliness.