Scientifically proven ways to deal with loneliness and reduce your stress
In today's connected world, loneliness affects people of all kinds. No one has been spared by the COVID-19 outbreak. A lot of people felt alone and isolated during the 2020 global lockdown, when daily interactions and social life stopped.
Some people also found it hard to live close together without any comfort. It's been hard to get used to life after the plague. A 2022 study by Statista found that 33% of people around the world feel isolated.
Isolation from other people for a long time can lead to health problems, memory loss, and death before its time. Isolation from other people can also lead to sadness and anxiety.
Loneliness and lack of social touch are harder to diagnose than other behaviour problems. But having a clear goal might help keep you from feeling lonely when you're alone.
A recent study found that people of all ages who felt like they had a meaning in life were less lonely. Over 2,300 Swiss adults were asked about how lonely, isolated, and left out they felt.
Over the course of four weeks, they were asked to rate how they felt as below, met, or above goals. The people who took part also took a test on personal satisfaction and the usefulness of daily activities.
Researchers have found that having a goal in life, even if it's just a simple hobby, can help people feel less lonely.
Where do you find the reason for your life?
Because this journey might make you feel terrible and hurt, it's okay for people not to expect you to follow it exactly. It's better to set goals that can be reached and take steps that are reasonable to reach them than to try to save the world from climate change.
Having important relationships with other people through hobbies, sports, clubs, and volunteering in schools and NGOs can help you find meaning and happiness. When that familiar blank screen comes back, plan a trip, take care of a garden, or help a friend clean.