Lonely this Christmas.....
Emma Cromarty MCIPD
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The festive period is almost upon us and research shows that 17% of us feel more lonely at Christmas. The festive season can sometimes come with pressure for it to be a time of love and cheer, but for many the reality is different.
Many of us feel lonely from time to time. Feelings of loneliness are personal, so everyone's experience will be different.
Some people describe loneliness as the feeling we have when our need for social contact and relationships isn’t met. But loneliness isn’t the same as being alone.
You may feel content without much contact with other people. But others may find this a lonely experience.
Loneliness has many different causes, which vary from person to person. Anyone can feel lonely at any age, but?loss of a loved one, retirement, poor health and not having a support network are among the things that can make some people feel even more isolated.
Social contact is important to us, and a lack of it can be brought into focus by the festive period. Feeling lonely can have a negative impact on your mental health, especially if these feelings have lasted a long time.
If you are struggling with your mental health, you may:
·?????? Avoid social events and activities you usually enjoy
·?????? Have low self-esteem
·?????? Find it hard to try new things and worry about engaging with others
·?????? Find it difficult to speak to people about how you’re feeling, for fear of stigma or not being understood
·?????? Feel like you could be a burden to others
·?????? Feel overwhelmed in busy public places, or at work events and parties
Some research suggests that loneliness can increase stress. It's also associated with an increased risk of certain mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety.
Top Tips:
Increase your self-confidence
Having lots of friends and contacts in your life doesn’t mean you won’t feel lonely. For many of us, feeling lonely is linked to low self-esteem or self-confidence.
Sometimes, improving our relationships with ourselves, as well as others, can help us feel less lonely.?You could start by thinking about what self-care means to you. Remember that self-care looks different for everyone – this could be dong an activity you love or decluttering your home.
Speak to someone you trust
You might feel like you know plenty of people, but don’t have a deep connection with them. Or that the people around you don't give you the care and attention that you need.
If this is how you feel, it might help to open up to someone you trust. This could be a friend or family member, a colleague or someone else in your life. You don’t need to speak face-to-face. You could send them a text message, or send a message to someone on social media.
Try talking therapy
Talking therapies can help you explore what feeling lonely means to you. Your therapist can help you develop different ways of managing your feelings. There are lots of therapies out there, included CBT.
Volunteer
A big part of loneliness is about feeling that you don’t ‘have a place’, explore other avenues for feeling useful. There are thousands of charities and local organisations all over the UK who are crying out for volunteers on Christmas Day itself and right over the festive period.
Start a conversation?
Take time to talk to someone this Christmas. This could be done at the supermarket, at the pub or out for a walk. Just say a simple hello. It could make a big difference to someone who’s lonely.
Give a neighbour a card?
Ring the doorbell and chat to your neighbour. A card can be a conversation starter, make a connection.
Try to get enough sleep?
The Christmas down time can allow you to catch up on that much needed rest.??
Spend some time outside?
The weather at this time of year can be changeable, but spending some time in a park or an open space can often help clear your thoughts.
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2 个月It's also useful to remember that you can feel lonely even when surrounded by people. Thanks for sharing this Emma Cromarty
Managing Director
2 个月This is a very good message, thanks for sharing.