Tips for avoiding feeling lonely or isolated
We will all experience loneliness or isolation at some point in our lives, and it’s difficult to imagine how those feelings can be completely avoided.
Although loneliness is not aligned to a particular age group, it is understandable why we might feel lonely at times as we age.
Some situations, such as when younger family members must relocate to the other side of the country for work and are no longer able to call in and say hello as frequently, are difficult to deal with at first. Other reasons for feeling lonely could be that close friends have relocated for health reasons or that they have passed away.
The good news is that these emotions and situations can be minimised or avoided in a variety of ways. Whatever is causing you to feel isolated or lonely today, the important thing is to not let these feelings consume you and to recognise that these feelings are only temporary. Tomorrow has the potential to be a fantastic day; you just never know what will happen.
You can make as many changes to your situation as you need to in order to live a better and happier life. It could be as simple as making a list of things you would like to do to give yourself a more positive mindset and attitude that you absolutely deserve. In fact, successfully dealing with loneliness may be a lot easier than you think when you start thinking about new activities, hobbies, and methods of social interaction that you can start doing today or tomorrow. You might be able to help out at a community garden or volunteer at a worthwhile organisation you’ve heard about.
Try something you’ve never done before. For example, you may have never considered baking cakes or other delectable treats because you don’t have much of an appetite for them. You could, however, contact a local church or emergency housing centre and enquire whether they require volunteers to provide baked goods. It’s entirely possible that they’ll despatch someone to pick up your baked goods and then return your trays and dishes later on.
Start exploring your area and beyond.
Even if you’ve lived in your current town or suburb for many years, you may have never actually acted like a tourist in your piece of this world. There could be a lot of hidden gems in and around the area you live that you’ve never explored.
You could take a drive to a really beautiful area you’ve heard about recently but have been putting off for far too long. Take a good book or a few magazines; a battery powered radio as well as a picnic rug, snacks & a thermos with some nice hot tea. Find yourself a picturesque park yourself at the base of a large tree and read a book for a while before heading to the local shopping centre for lunch.
Maybe you don’t live too far from the beach and could go and have a cup of tea or coffee at a beachside café and then take a walk along the esplanade and check out some of the local shops.
If you are of limited mobility and don’t tend to do too much walking these days, then you might benefit from either purchasing or hire a mobility scooter. The battery range on mobility scooters is getting better all the time with plenty of models around that can achieve 40 kms on one charge. Travelling around your area on your scooter is much different to driving around. You’re going much slower along the footpath and you’re not worried about the traffic too much except for crossings. You have more time to take in everything around you and you’re bound to come across a few places that you’ve never been to before.
Have a look in your phone directory or do a quick Google search to locate your nearest tourist/visitor information centre. Go and pay them a visit and find out just how many things to do they have. There could be far more local attractions in area than you could ever imagine.
Find out if your area has a community services centre/group. These centres often organise day trips to interesting places up to a few hours drive out of town. These trips will often include morning tea, lunch and light refreshments. They may even be able to pick you up and drop you off at your home in the morning, if not your home, it would be a designated meeting spot. You might just need to work out how you get to and from the designated meeting spot, it might be a place with ample parking or you may need to get a taxi to and from.
Whatever the case is, strongly consider taking a good look around and see what is out there for you to do and what places there are for you to visit. Once you start doing things that is causing you to meet other senior people, your world is going to change. Some of these people may end up becoming great friends with you. Any ideas you come up with that helps you feel a little more connected with this world is always going to be a worthwhile. Even the smallest new and enjoyable social experience can make a difference and help you avoid any feelings loneliness and isolation.
Adopt or rescue a pet.
Think about getting a pet. Having a pet that is a good match for you in
your life can be a real blessing. Visit
your local vet or pet store and tell them what kind of pet you want and let
them do their best to match you with the perfect furry companion for you. If you haven’t had a pet in a while, don’t
worry; it may take some time, but the two of you will eventually become
synchronised. Having a pet that you
adore and from whom you can receive unconditional love is a wonderful feeling.
You might be surprised at how optimistic this will
make you feel about your life. Caring
for your pet will give you a sense of purpose in your life. You will feel as if
there is someone in your life who depends on you and cares about you once
more. You will be more physically
active and emotionally balanced if you have a pet. There is a lot of evidence that having a pet
can improve your health. This can range from helping you recover from
unhappiness and nervousness in your life to lowering your blood pressure and
further developing your overall heart wellbeing.
It may take some time, but you will eventually you’ll
be enjoying the physical and psychological wellness benefits of something as
simple as cuddling up to your pet in your reclining chair or on the couch while
watching your favourite TV show.
There are many websites and YouTube videos you
could view to learn about how to take care of a pet.
[…] 4. Community Trips, Regular outings to get you meeting people. […]
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