Overcoming Loneliness in 2020 – What Can We Do?
A sad reality of 2020 is that people are becoming more and more lonely. Loneliness is a word that wasn’t even used in the English language until 200 years ago, and since then, it’s become used every day by almost everyone. 2020 has been particularly difficult for those who wish to combat their loneliness; due to the pandemic, people have been unable to gather and do things together.
Still, we must find ways to beat loneliness together; it’s one of the few things that cannot be beaten alone. We must find ways to come together despite the pandemic, even if it has to be virtual. If we can do things together and make personal connections, we can find ways to beat the modern illness plaguing us.
Defining Loneliness
Loneliness feels different for everyone, so it might be difficult to define and describe it. Still, everyone who experiences loneliness can find similarities in how they experience it. For many people, loneliness is not having a group of people who share their similar interests. This is interesting because it’s not just being alone; it’s not having anyone to talk to that understands you.
There are people with all the friends in the world, the most popular kids ever, who still feel lonely because they don’t feel understood. There are also people who experience loneliness simply because they don’t have anyone to talk to in real life; studies show that online communication does little to help us overcome our loneliness. There can be bad health effects on those who suffer from extreme loneliness.
Health Effects of Loneliness
There are tons of different bad health effects for those who are experiencing loneliness, some of which cause patients to be at high risk. Many of these health effects are mental, but there are also physical risks as well. Loneliness is linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and weak immune systems, all of which can grow and develop into more serious issues if they are left unchecked.
Mentally, those who suffer from loneliness can also suffer from depression, a mental illness that can lead to death if left unchecked. Clearly, it’s more of an issue than people might have thought if you feel lonely; you need to do everything you can do overcome loneliness by searching for ways to combat this plague.
What Can We Do?
So, knowing how serious loneliness is of an issue, what should we be doing to combat it? First of all, we must recognize that it is a serious issue that can be in our lives or the lives of those we care about. Even if you aren’t experiencing loneliness yourself, you should look around at those you care about and see if they need someone to help them combat their loneliness.
Afterwards, we should take a second to reflect on what we are doing in our every day lives to combat loneliness. It often takes a lifestyle change to get out there and connect with others, and that can be easier said than done. Here are some of the ways we can make those changes and fight back against loneliness.
Connecting in Real Life
The first thing we need to try and do is connect in real life with actual people. This might be difficult in 2020, but we must find ways to safely connect with others and have real life experiences.
Many people have experiences with others online, and chat and text and do everything virtually; this might be a good temporary solution during the pandemic, but it will not last. You cannot combat loneliness by looking into a screen in your room, even if you are communicating with people. You must get out there are find activities you can do with people in real life.
Be Real Online
Hanging out on Instagram, it will look to you like everyone you know is living a better life than yourself. It is easy to feel like your life doesn’t have value when it looks like everyone else is partying, going out, buying bikes and cars and houses, riding helicopters, and going on vacations.
You need to know that social media is fake. People don’t go on social media to tell the truth about what’s going on with their lives; they go online to brag about why their life is the best. This is a way people cope with the reality that their real lives aren’t that good; they search for validation to their filtered Instagram life. If you’re going to be active on social media; be the difference. Share real parts of your life and connect with real people.
Find Like-Minded People
Combatting loneliness must be done with like-minded people. It doesn’t matter if you’re going to parties and surrounded by people if you don’t connect with them. Find something that you’re into and connect with others on it.
If you love to play chess, combat loneliness by joining a group of people who play. If you play video games, that’s the way you can combat loneliness. Regardless of what you do, it will help you most if you can do it with others who share that similar interest.
Gather Together
In the end, you need to gather together. Gathers allows you to find groups of people doing activities that you love to do. You can find cooking lessons, movie nights, pool parties, and much more; you can find exactly what you want to do, which will help you connect with those that want to do the same thing. If you have a space where you can host, that’s a great way to meet new people and make some extra cash on the side.
Final Thoughts
Loneliness is one of few challenges that cannot be conquered alone. Reach out to those you care about and find people with similar interests. Be real on your social media and fight the invisible enemy that is loneliness. Together, we can come and beat loneliness out of our lives.