Are social beings that we live in community. We need other people to achieve acceptable levels of security and well-being, which are essential to maintaining good psychological health.
However the feeling of loneliness It is not necessarily linked to the lack of human contact. We can have company, a partner, family and friends, and feel alone.
At the same time, physical loneliness, for someone who has chosen to be alone and reduce their social contacts to a minimum, does not have to entail emotional loneliness.
What is emotional loneliness
Emotional loneliness is a mental state that can arise in physical solitude or in company, and that is built based on feelings related to misunderstanding, lack of attachment to other people, sadness, insecurity,…
What symptoms accompany the feeling of loneliness
- Isolation: as we say, the feeling of loneliness goes beyond physical loneliness. The individual feels isolated from the world, although, in reality, he is accompanied.
- Sadness: the person is dejected, sad and can even lead to depression if the situation continues.
- Lack of energy: Exhaustion is also usually a symptom of depression, and is a characteristic that can seriously affect a person’s performance in the work and personal spheres.
- Concern: The above symptoms lead the individual to restlessness and dissatisfaction with the stimuli they experience.
Physiological and psychological damages of emotional loneliness
Emotional loneliness can affect us in different ways:
- The anguish that this isolation generates harms the immune system.
- Consequently, we are weaker and predisposed to contract diseases.
- Decrease of the self-esteem.
- Cause demotivation.
- Cause problems anxiety.
- go through a depression.
How to combat emotional loneliness
Emotional loneliness is more complicated to manage than social loneliness. Managing to fill that void and overcome that feeling of isolation is a more laborious and delicate process. Some useful guidelines and tips are as follows:
- First of all, it is essential that you identify that emotionthat you recognize it to act on it and turn it into something positive.
- Secondly, you must interpret it and reflect about it: your emotions transmit a message to you. Has there been any significant event that has caused it, something that you have been carrying for some time?
- To establish a new mental approach to face the problem, overcome your fears, make new decisions and make changes, with a proactive attitude with a minimum of initiative to get out of the hole. It is easy to say but difficult to do, as a vicious circle is established: a dejected, tired and isolated person cannot have this attitude unless he manages to break that loop.
- You need to find a purpose of lifethat gives meaning to your day to day.
- Learn to enjoy yourselfenjoy your own company.
- Strengthen your self-esteem. Avoid sending yourself negative messages. Consider this phase as a low moment, but one that can strengthen you.
- Lean on the people closest to you and stimulate your social activity to find people with similar interests, do not expect others to come to you. Train your social skills.
- In the event that the loss of a loved one, you must accept that reality, no matter how hard it may seem. And try to turn the meaning of loneliness around. It can be an occasion to rediscover yourself as a person and raise new opportunities and dreams.
- Do exercise It is always beneficial for your emotional health. Also eat a healthy diet, a regular sleep pattern, etc.
- Follow one schedule routine in your daily life and try to fulfill it.
- To achieve these objectives, it is advisable to resort to the help from a mental health professional.
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