There is a thin line between solitude and loneliness and we have gathered a few indicators that mean you are leaning towards loneliness and its time to break the pattern.
Loneliness and solitude are two different things. Even though they follow the same principle, one is harmful and one is beneficial. Loneliness refers to the sadness that encompasses you because you have no friends or company. Whereas, solitude refers to the condition of being on one’s own with one’s own self, with one’s own choice. Loneliness can be defeating while solitude is usually blissful.
There have been countless researches on the topic of loneliness that have shown somewhat similar results. It is linked to depression, mental health issues, obesity and even suicide. Moreover, a few studies have linked the ever-increasing phenomenon of loneliness to the integration on technology into our lives that have diminished face-to-face communication.
On the other hand, solitude is very beneficial to humans in right dozes. According to many psychologists and psychiatrists who have conducted comprehensive studies into the art of solitude, it has been concluded that solitude increases productivity and concentration as well as improving your relationship with the self and with others.
There is a thin line between solitude and loneliness and we have gathered a few indicators that mean you are leaning towards loneliness and its time to break the pattern we have also mentioned a few ways to manage and cure this horrible feeling В before you fall down the rabbit hole of loneliness:
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You Crave Meaningful Connections
You have stopped hanging out with your old friends. You make excuses when they try to meet you because you feel like you don’t belong in that circle. Instead, you have started to crave deep connections with people. Even if you hang out with your friends occasionally, you still feel lonely because you do not feel like you are connected to them on a deeper level. While understandable, it is not a healthy behavior. In life, you have to be friends with all sorts of people and cannot wait for deep connections to form instantly. So go out and form connections, maybe you’ll find the connections that you are looking for in unexpected people.
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Restlessness and Boredom
Most of the times, you are either bored or restless. You are now addicted to the escapes and the background noise in the form of TV shows, movies and video games. The worst part is, you do not try to change your circumstances, you are becoming numb towards the feelings and starting to accept your helplessness. Instead, you should try to enjoy your own company. Instead of mindless background noise, you can meditate or practice yoga. Meditation has been shown to turn loneliness into the feeling of solitude. So please, be kind to yourself and practice meditation.В – Continue reading on the next page
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You are harming yourself
You have divulged in distractions in the form of food, alcohol, physical self-harm or drugs. Loneliness is a feeling that demands escape and you almost always end up choosing a wrong way to escape. We know that it feels like nothing can make you feel better and this dark lonely night will stay here forever but that is not the case. You can come out of this, all you have to do is take the first step. Accept that you feel lonely, as with all things, acceptance is the first step to recovery. Once you accept it, formulate a plan to deal with it. Or do you want to live with this crushing feeling forever? You can talk about it to a trusted friend or a support group, you can visit the local dog park or adopt a pet of your own. The possibilities are endless, you should try multiple things and stick to what works for you.
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Suicidal Ideation
One of the ugly faces of Loneliness is the fact that it makes you feel like you are worthless and nobody needs you. This feeling, over time will make you want to end your life because you will form a belief that people don’t need you and nobody will notice your absence. This is not the case! You are needed and there are people who love you. You just have a dark cloud of loneliness covering your eyes and it’s very hard for you to see but always remember that after every dark cloud there comes a bright morning.
So, while it might look gloomy now, do not entertain the suicidal thoughts. Think of them as a passing dark cloud, observe it and let it pass.
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You now have Social Anxiety
It is expected that after a long time of being alone, you are now scared to face people. The only way to overcome this is practice, you have to get reacquainted with the social norms and social interactions. Of course it will not take that long because you once were a social animal who lost its way in the societal jungle along the way. Now you have found your way again but have to get re-familiarized with the path.
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