Making new connections

We all feel lonely from time to time. Feelings of loneliness are personal, so everyone's experience of loneliness will be different. 

One common description of loneliness is the feeling we get when our need for rewarding social contact and relationships is not met. But loneliness is not always the same as being alone. 

Is loneliness a mental health problem? 

Feeling lonely isn't in itself a mental health problem, but the two are strongly linked. Having a mental health problem can increase your chance of feeling lonely. 

What causes loneliness? 

Loneliness has many different causes, which vary from person to person. We don't always understand what it is about an experience that makes us feel lonely. 

For some people, certain life events may mean they feel lonely. Other people find they feel lonely at certain times of the year, such as around Christmas. 

How can I manage loneliness? 

Take it slow 

If you've felt lonely for a long time, even if you already know lots of people, it can be terrifying to think about trying to meet new people or opening up to people for the first time. But you don't need to rush into anything. 

Make new connections 

If you are feeling lonely because of a lack of satisfying social contact in your life, you could try to meet more, or different people. 

• Try to join a class or group based on your hobbies or interests.  

Try to open up 

You might feel that you know plenty of people, but what is actually wrong is that you don't feel close to them, or they don't give you the care and attention you need. 

Look after yourself 

Feeling lonely can be very stressful and can have a big impact on your general wellbeing, which might make it even harder to make positive steps to feeling better.