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Could loneliness be affecting your performance and your health
Loneliness is increasingly becoming recognised as a serious issue in modern society; it affects anyone and everyone.
The office of National Statistics report that 21% of adults in the UK feel lonely at least some of the time; this equates to 9 million adults. Research conducted by Totaljobs (2018) found that 3 out of 5 adults feel lonely at work. Whilst feeling lonely is not in itself a wellbeing problem, there is evidence to suggest that if we want to reduce stress and become more productive we need to address this issue.
The social needs we have will vary from other people and may even vary during different times in our lives. There will be times in our lives where we find ourselves content with a few close friends and at other times find that we need a large group of varied acquaintances to feel satisfied. If you find yourself feeling lonely and isolated there are many things you can do to support yourself.
Tips for the Lonely
Make New Connections
Try finding ways to make new connections; consider getting involved with an activity or committee. Look for ways to increase opportunities for social interaction.
Open up
Even if you have lots of friends, you can feel lonely if you feel disconnected. Consider opening up. Start slow and build your confidence and trust in others.
Know you are not alone
60% of people feel alone at work, you are not alone in how you feel. Try challenging some of the thoughts you have around this feeling. Research also shows us that over time those of us who feel lonely are more likely to be sensitive to rejection and hostility. In ambiguous social situation, lonely people are more likely to think the worst.
Be careful when comparing yourself to others
In the modern world it is very easy to make comparisons to others, we all do it, but the perception from the outside does not always ive us an accurate picture of reality as often we only see what people want t share. It’s important to remember that you don’t know hoe people are feeling.
And remember….people like to talk about themselves!
if all else fails, just turn to the person next to you and ask them about themselves. Most people will love the opportunity to share something.
Feeling lonely can be stressful and have an impact on your general wellbeing. If you are feeling lonely there is a lot of support and information available. Check out Minds literature on www.mind.org.uk or reach out for support. Mind in Mid Herts are available if you need mental health support; visit us at www.mindinmidherts.org.uk
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