How to Beat Loneliness

Loneliness comes over all of us at times. Even if you're married but your partner works long hours and you only see each other on weekends and holidays, loneliness can bring you down. Coping with loneliness doesn't have to be a struggle. Follow these suggestions to avoid isolating yourself.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Take a course at your nearest university or community college. Use it as an opportunity to learn about something you've always wanted to learn about. Strike up a conversation with the people around you. You may find someone with other similar interests that you can spend time with when class is over.
2. Nurture your creativity. Artistic expression is a great way of coping with loneliness. Experiment with different artistic forms. Take a drawing class, join a choir, start a writer's group or attend some dance classes. You don't have to be good at it. You just have to love it.
3. Do some traveling. Look for a friend or family member who can spare even a weekend. Explore those places close to home that people come from all over the world to see. Check out the Travel Chums web site to find other people looking for someone to travel with if you can't find someone who can spare the time.
4. Join a sports team. Forget the horrors of being picked last for softball in school. Adult sports is purely for fun and it's great exercise too. Maybe you've got a friend, neighbor or coworker who plays soccer or baseball on a neighborhood team you could join.
5. Volunteer at some local charities. Giving of yourself is an incredible experience. You'll meet others who care about the causes you care about.
6. Join online discussions with people who are suffering from loneliness like you. Learn how they're coping with it. The Well of Loneliness is a Yahoo! Group that's been around since 2002. A Lonely Life is another site that provides a forum for you to talk about loneliness.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't restrict your socializing to the Internet. Interacting with people face-to-face is more powerful at chasing the blues than words on the screen.