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Understanding your emotions well enough can help you take measurable and actionable steps to connect with others and help protect your mental health. Over the last year, several people have been confined to their homes to help curb the pandemic. It is essential to understand that while some people live with family, friends, or even roommates, others might be living alone. Many of us might be missing our friends, family, and relatives. We may even find ourselves feeling bored and lonely.
So, do you often feel that ‘my life is so boring and lonely?’ And are you actively looking to know how to overcome boredom and loneliness? Do not fret! You are not alone. The world is getting lonelier. There are a lot of people who go through this. In Korea, people record themselves while eating dinner. And we pay them to watch these videos. So what is this a sign of? Loneliness!
But the good news is that you can defy the feelings of isolation, boredom, and loneliness.
The price of being a sheep is boredom and the price of being a wolf is loneliness. So, choose your side with great care.
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Why are you feeling lonely?
When you live alone and feel isolated from others, it is only natural to feel lonely and even bored sometimes, as physical distance and separation can make you emotionally and physically desolate.
But if you are living with others, and yet you feel lonely, it is a sign that you are missing meaningful interactions in your life.
What is loneliness?
Loneliness occurs when you don’t feel satisfied with your social interactions and would like to be more connected to others. Conversely, you may feel lonely when you have several people around you, as you do not feel emotionally connected or invested in them. Under such circumstances, it is apparent that you are looking for ways to overcome loneliness.
Ways to overcome loneliness?
If you want to stop feeling lonely and want to come out of it, there are various ways to beat your loneliness, such as:
- Joining an interest group like a book reading club
- Reconnecting with friends and family
- Volunteering with a local organization
- Going out with friends and attending social events
- Working on a hobby
- Taking work at the place of worship
How is loneliness impacting your health?
Loneliness is never good. It can cause harm to your emotional and mental health. This lack of social connectedness can risk your physical and mental health. When you do not feel socially connected to others, you might find it far more challenging to deal with stressful situations. Loneliness can cause sleeplessness and heightened stress levels, depression, and more so anxiety! In fact, loneliness can lead to poor immunity, a solid concern that is alarming given the current state of the world we are all in.
As per a study, loneliness is likely to increase your risk of death by 29%. It can also cause other health problems such as heart disease, dementia, and depression, to name a few.
Also Read: It’s Okay to Not to Be Okay! How to deal with Depression & Failures in life?
Are you feeling bored?
Another more common emotion that many of us are experiencing is boredom. Amid the pandemic and lockdown, life has become dull, repetitive, and monotonous. You might have lost interest in the things or even in the people around you. The human mind is curious, likes challenges, and loves finding new things. Without enough mental stimulation, your mind may likely get bored more often now than usual!
When you get bored, you may frequently get distracted and even daydream. You may even spend more time scrolling and browsing through social media, or binge-watching shows to find something that is very interesting and far more engaging. You may likely mistake your boredom for hunger or even tiredness. However, having a snack or taking a nap may not be enough.
Sometimes we hate being bored because it does give us a lot of time to think about the ones we truly miss!
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If you are feeling bored and lonely, you need to identify these feelings of boredom or loneliness and then take proactive action to feel better. So let us talk about how to overcome boredom and loneliness.
Ways to beat loneliness and boredom
You can beat loneliness and boredom by making some small behavioural changes such as:
- Strike small conversations with people around you, such as your neighbours, friends, and family. You can talk about the weather, compliment the departmental store’s cashier for her work, or slide into small talk with your neighbour. You can also call your relatives and check on them.
- You can reconnect with your old friends, meet up over coffee, and bond with them.
- You can pretty much choose to enjoy your own company by indulging in self-care practices and relishing your me-time.
- You can find groups that share similar interests, values, and goals as yours. It will make it easier for you to connect with the group members.
- You can take up hobbies like writing, reading, cooking, painting, and gardening.
- You can also adopt a pet and be a pet parent. Your furry friend will keep you entertained, cheer you up, and help you beat your boredom and loneliness. So, you may consider adopting one.
- Last but not least, you should have a positive outlook. It will help you radiate positive energy and attract positive people in life, helping you form deeper connections.
Check out this supercool – How to overcome loneliness infographic.
11 Things To Do When Feeling Bored and Lonely?
Here are 11 tips on how to overcome your boredom and loneliness (Also refer – Tips on how to overcome boredom and loneliness infographic)
1. Structure your day
When you live alone, you get tempted to do as you please. However, a structure or schedule can help you feel more present and focused. You can create a new routine to be followed by incorporating time for work, daily chores, leisure, social interactions, and most importantly, me-time.
2. Start a new ritual
Feeling bored and lonely? Find a suitable activity to help you cope with the current scenario and make it a solid daily ritual to help yourself stay calm. It can include maintaining a journal or even something as simple as having a cup full of tea in the morning or taking a hot shower before bed!
3. Change your perception
Sometimes, even talking to others may not be what you need. It is, therefore, helpful to change how you think about isolation or boredom. Think of this alone time as an opportunity to learn more about yourself and pick up a new skill; if you want! Reframing your perspective on the situation can help you tackle these distressing and challenging emotions more easily!
4. Reconnect with your old friends
Reach out and talk to old friends via phone, messages, social media, or video calls. It can help you feel well-connected even though you might not be in their company always.
Recommended Read: 5 tips for Choosing your Friends wisely & Seeking Meaningful Relationships!
5. Bond with your family
If you live with your family, try to spend time with them. Try doing some household chores with them, share some responsibilities, watch shows together, or even go ahead to start new family rituals like having a fantastic game night once a week or eating breakfast together each morning. Engage in meaningful conversation with your family about your life, their life, and society or the world. You can manage your anxiety and, ultimately, your negative emotions.
6. Focus on your hobbies
Maybe you have a hobby that was long dropped or forgotten. Why not reconnect with these old hobbies to alleviate your loneliness? Maybe, you enjoy painting, or several books are piling up in your library that you always wanted to read. Use this time to indulge in such hobbies. It can help you stay engaged and beat the boredom.
7. Focus on your health
When you stay isolated, you may have lower immunity and higher susceptibility to falling ill! Prioritize your health by eating balanced meals, exercising regularly, drinking plenty of water, and getting adequate sleep. It means taking any medication you are on and avoiding alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, or other substances.
8. Maintain hygiene
Being isolated or staying away from other people may make you feel there is no need to maintain hygiene. This tendency worsens if you also feel bored, lonely, and depressed. However, it’s crucial to maintain hygiene during such times. Brushing your teeth, bathing every day, and changing into clean clothes are all essential for your well-being. If finding the motivation to do this is hard, make a to-do list with these hygiene items and ensure you tick them off each day. You could even ask someone to hold you accountable for the same by checking in with you regularly.
9. Avoid procrastination
When you are bored, you might find it hard to do something to change your mind’s state. It can lead you to procrastinate on an essential task. Sometimes, the best way to beat boredom is to push yourself to complete a job that has been pending for a long time. Focus on how good you would feel if you completed the task and use that feeling to motivate yourself to overcome that procrastination!
10. Spend time in your own company
When you feel bored, take the time to introspect and understand your mind and heart. Try to identify what it is that you would actually like to do. Reflect on your life and try to understand the things that are really important to you. How can you make full time for these things in your life? Alternatively, you can begin brainstorming and planning for something you have wanted to do but have not had the time for at all! Identify your life goals, break them down into more minor action points, and take them one by one, starting from today.
11. Take a break
When boredom does hit you while you are engaging and immersing in a task, do take some time off. Take a break from whatever makes you feel bored and do an activity you can enjoy. If you are bored of washing vessels, take a break and dance to your utmost favourite song; if you are bored of work, talk to a co-worker; if you are entirely bored of studying, take a break and do some yoga. It will help you feel thoroughly refreshed, rejuvenated, and re-energized.
Understanding that feeling bored and lonely is a part of life is essential. While it may not be enjoyable, it is something that we all have to deal with from time to time. Learning how to work through boredom, loneliness, and isolation can equip you with important skills to lead a happier and healthier life.
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