Loneliness isn’t one-size-fits-all — and it doesn’t always look like what you’d expect.
You can feel lonely in a crowd, during a major life change, or even in a long-term relationship. Loneliness often takes on one of these four common forms:
• Emotional loneliness
• Social loneliness
• Situational loneliness
• Chronic loneliness
We’ve outlined some simple ways you can gently support yourself to manage feelings of loneliness — and remember, the key is, you don’t have to tackle it on your own.
What to do if you’re feeling lonely
Emotional loneliness
This is the absence of a close emotional attachment like a partner, best friend, or loved one. You may be surrounded by people, but still feel unsupported.
Social loneliness
Lacking a broader social network, friends, colleagues or a community. You may feel like you don’t “belong” anywhere or have people to do things with.
Situational loneliness
This can often be triggered by a life event — moving to a new place, starting a new job, or ending a relationship. This type of loneliness is often temporary, but still very real and profound.
Chronic loneliness
A deep, prolonged feeling of loneliness that becomes your ‘normal’. This can often arise during, or due to major life changes, illness, grief, or questions of purpose.
4 types of loneliness
Open up to someone you trust
Talking to a partner, friend, family member, counsellor or helpline. Just simply saying “I’m feeling a bit lonely” can be a powerful first step.
Try a group activity
Join in on a group activity that interests you — a class, club, or volunteer group. You don’t need instant best friends — just being around others helps.
Take a social media break
Scrolling can actually often make loneliness worse. Try swapping 10 minutes of scroll-time, for something that offers real one-on-one connection in person.
Reach out for support
A mental health professional can help you to understand your loneliness and provide you tools to manage and combat these feelings.
