Coping with loneliness

[Tillyp123]

Hi,

I am finding it very difficult to cope with the current covid situation and feel more isolated than I should.

I live alone & all of my family live overseas. I have friends however due to the self isolation rules am not seeing them. I have not had any other interaction for over 2 weeks now and am finding it hard to find the motivation to get out of bed each day to follow the same routine and be on my own again.

i am looking for some help with how to manage this loneliness when I usually am a very social and busy person

[MilkandHoney]

Hello!

It's such a difficult time at the moment - I know so many people that are struggling (myself included). I live alone as well, but still go to work with many people, but despite that interaction I still feel quite lonely as well. I live alone and I just want to HUG SOMEONE. So I can definitely relate lol. Are you still in regular phone contact with your friends? Even just FaceTiming regular catch ups with your friends might help? Some of my friends and I are making plans for regular catch ups over the phone - i.e. Friday night at 8pm and a glass of wine! It's not the same as actually all being in the same place, but its better than nothing.

Take care, and know you're not alone, we're all in this together!

[Katyonthehamsterwheel]

Awful isn't it?! I live alone too. I agree with MilkandHoney that catch-ups with mates are a great idea, via whatever platform you can manage. Same with family overseas. They'd enjoy it too I'm sure.

I also see lots of people are fostering pets, so I don't know if that's something that would suit you. I have a dog and 2 cats and it's great even having their company.

There's also plenty of social threads on here if you feel like sticking around for company 🙂

Take care, Katy

[MiguelS]

Yeah it's rough, I can understand your situation. Pretty much living it right now, if you can call a friend for a short conversation or get on board the house party app, helps listening to voices to like podcasts etc. Just bear in mind, this won't last forever and it's important to stay busy if you can.

[endlessfear]

I live alone also.
days I’m fine as I keep busy but nights are horrible.
I don’t have a lot of friends and those I do have, live with their kids/partners etc.

the loneliness has really hit hard.

[missep123]

Hi Tillyp123,

I'm sorry that you have been feeling that way. I think your post is very relatable, I've definitely felt that also. Coronavirus has meant that we are isolated more than we have ever been. I think in times like these it is so important to make or revisit our self-care plans.

Do you have a self-care plan? It's just about really discovering the things that make you happy or feel a bit better. For example, I love to watch Korean dramas on Netflix, hug my dog, go for a walk, listen to music.

It can be really hard during this time, I think it's also about thinking about what we can change and what we can't. For example, unfortunately we can't change what's currently happening in the world but what we can change is our outlook and how we take care of ourself.

I hope you may find this helpful! I am really glad that you reached out in the forums because looking at what others have posted, you are not alone in how you feel.

[Guest_1643]

Hi Tilly!

Sounds like it's so limiting and frustrating coping thesedays, as you enjoy being social and busy usually.

Socialising is so important. Living alone really brings me down at the moment, too.

I don't know what the answer is but I'm glad you're sharing it here, at least we can be lonely together...

[Daniel0712]

Hi Tilly
I definitely hear you, I’m in a similar boat, living alone, friends overseas etc. Have you considered making a hard to break commitment to yourself just to ensure you get up and start the day healthy eg. making outdoor exercise at say 9am a non negotiable part of your day?

[Guest_1643]

Hi Daniel, great idea. I struggle doing things at the same time at the moment, I do go for that outfoor exercise but do it at different times daily, it would probs help a lot to have a routine

[zguenzl]

Hey Sleepy21,

This has definitely helped me feel more in control.

I've also combined exercise and socialising by doing yoga everyday with my friends on FaceTime at 5pm. My whole extended family also does a call on the weekends.

This has improved my mood a lot!

Hope this helps.

Zoe