Loneliness: types and strategies

Winter can be a difficult time, especially when the weather robs us of freedom. It’s not easy to travel when the roads are icy and temperatures are plummeting. Many people are afraid of falling and are therefore more indoors.

The pandemic that began in 2021 has brought with it a series of restrictions that tend to isolate people. The ones I have found most vulnerable are the elderly who live at home. They do not have the advantage of interacting with others personally and often do not have computer skills to communicate. Unlike those who live in a condo, they don’t even get a chance to greet others or wave when they go down a hallway or meet at the mailbox.

I’ve been thinking about those who matter to me and who are struggling. Although they are in good health and financial security, they feel desperately alone. A phone call is not the same as a hug and having 24 hours a day without contact can be very empty.

There are four types of loneliness:

1. Isolation: feeling lonely because friends and loved ones are at a distance.

2. Independent: not having family, friends or company.

3. Dissociation: being in a crowd of people but not connecting.

4. Lack of purpose: having no one to care for or any tasks to perform.

The distance due to contagious diseases is usually temporary. Retirement can lead to a period of disappointment. Death triggers grievances. Moving requires adjustment.

Although there are several factors that can contribute to loneliness, psychologists generally agree that loneliness is actually a state of mind. It is difficult to get someone out of loneliness. That’s just theory and it will evaporate after the conversation. On the other hand, the activity changes the focus and allows the individual to get involved in projects.

I am lucky to have always been my best friend. I keep busy with things like cooking, crafts, music, and basket. Learning French keeps my mind sharp, and since I’m curious, I can use the internet to research topics.

Here are some tips to help reduce loneliness:

1. Find someone who sits alone and interacts with him. That way you solve two problems!

2. Be on the lookout for people who live alone in your own home and communicate with them regularly.

3. Think of your blessings rather than your losses.

4. Rejuvenate hobbies you enjoyed in the past.

5. Say what you want, not what you don’t want.

6. Join a group of Internet people with similar interests.

7. Write your family history. This will keep you busy and will be a treasure for generations to come.

8. Write a letter or phone a person a day whom you can encourage.

9. Find a new recipe and make it.

10. Plan an activity that you will do when spring arrives.

My uncle, who was a Queen’s Bench judge, had a sign on his desk that said “I complained when I had no shoes. And then I met a man who had no feet.”

Change your mood and change your life!