Tuesday 18 June 2019

Loneliness Awareness Week.

Did you know this week is Loneliness Awareness Week? Loneliness is a common feeling and should be without stigma or shame.


Studies have shown loneliness is as damaging as obesity or smoking fifteen cigarettes a day. In 2017, the Marmalade Trust launched the first Loneliness Awareness Week (LAW) with the aim of raising awareness of loneliness and creating a society where it is spoken about openly and normally. This year one of the event’s key aims is to reduce the stigma of loneliness.

People rarely talk about loneliness, despite this being a common feeling. When people do talk about it, they often refer to loneliness in a negative way saying it is something that is ‘suffered from’ or ‘I admit it, I’m lonely’.” 

I sometimes feel lonely especially now since I don't have to walk the kids to school. When I did I would see and chat to people on the school run now I sometimes go for days without speaking to anyone apart from the kids, Stu and my dad on the phone. I do like to spend time alone but sometimes I do get lonely. I do have friends that I meet up with most weeks and I could quite easily pick up the phone and ring them but they have their own lives and I feel I don't want to bother them. I'm sometimes my own worst enemy.

I've made a promise to myself that when we move house I will make the effort to get out and about more and meet more people. I'd class myself as an introvert, it's going to be hard for me but loneliness can get boring. 

How to help with the loneliness:

Find A Hobby.
Boredom adds to loneliness. Find something to occupy your time. Make sure that what you choose has some social aspect to it. Taking pictures in the park or joining a group of some sort.

Volunteer.
Focusing on the needs of others steers your mind away from sad thoughts. It’s impossible to feel lonely when you’re helping someone.

Take a random bus or train somewhere.
Taking public transport to a random location forces you to do two things, be in the company of strangers, and change your environment. Doing this will ward off loneliness.

Step back from Social Media.
Social media breeds loneliness by giving you false perceptions. Seeing photos of everyone living their best lives and happiest times is not good. We compare our lives to theirs and it's wrong.

Tell your friends.
A lot of times you think that you are the only one that is lonely. I bet you are not!

Marmalade Trust’s vision is to create a society where loneliness is recognised openly as something likely to affect us all. They have over 300 organisations across the UK partnering with them to raise awareness, support people to find friendship by hosting events and raise money to help them do more. You can see what events are happening near you and add your own activity or event.

Do you ever feel lonely?

3 comments :

  1. I find working from home can be quite lonely, I do like my own company but sometimes miss the social side of having a conventional job. You've listed some really good tips x

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  2. I totally relate to this. I've always been happy in my own company but as the years have gone by I've definitely started to notice a bit of loneliness creeping in as I work from home pretty much all the time. Some food for thought here! x

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  3. Great tips, a change of scenery or distraction can help. Sometimes I feel lponely but I don't socialised I just want to be around humans or something to take my mind of things X #mmbc

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