Loneliness

I entered my first real relationship in the seventh grade (I know—young) and stayed in this relationship until my freshman year of college. I’ll do the math for you: This relationship took up roughly six years of my life. In other words, at the age of 18, I’d spent one…

It can be confusing to feel lonely in a marriage. After all, many of us spend each day near our partners—sharing meals, visiting family, caring for children, even sleeping in the same bed. So how is it possible to feel lonely with someone right beside you? The truth is, it’s…

When we feel disconnected and isolated from others, loneliness can start to take hold. Loneliness is a natural but emotionally and physically intense response to feeling disconnected from other people. That said, even when we’re surrounded by others, it’s still possible to wrestle with loneliness.  Loneliness has an intrinsic connection…

Spending time alone can be a blissful way to recharge our batteries when we feel our social energy levels starting to dip low. We all need some alone time every now and then—but when being alone becomes our daily default mode, the benefits of solitude disappear. And then loneliness sets…

Quick Summary A new study “A prefrontal-paraventricular thalamus circuit requires juvenile social experience to regulate adult sociability in mice” suggests that social isolation in childhood has a harmful impact on adult brain functioning and more specifically, in an area of the brain that’s responsible for regulating social behavior. In addition…

How are you feeling right now? If we were to guess, you’d probably say you’re doing okay. And while that might be true, it’s probably also true that you’re struggling with anxiety, stress, feelings of loneliness, and/or other difficult feelings. Due to the spread of COVID-19 and our efforts to…

Due to the rapid spread of COVID-19, many of us are on lockdown. We’re self-isolating, which means we’re staying home and avoiding all unnecessary contact with others. Some of us are fortunate enough to have roommates, be it a friend, family member, or significant other, with whom we can spend…

Amid COVID-19, many of us are experiencing feelings of loneliness, as we’re spending significantly less time with our friends, family, and others—and video chat only goes so far. Overcoming these lonely feelings is crucial to the state of your mental health, but doing so during social distancing is tough; this…

Depression has a way of making you feel all alone in the world, disconnected from the rest of humanity; fortunately, however, you can object to and resolve these feelings. The first matter of business is to understand the relationship between loneliness and depression: loneliness in depression isn’t usually due to…

Loneliness is something most of us would like to avoid if we could. But there are times where life truly gives us sour lemons after having a rough experience: breakups. Some breakups are mutual, others might end in disagreement, but one commonality that is likely to occur is loneliness. Feeling…

Moving to a new, unfamiliar place can lead to your feeling lonely—but you can find back against these feelings and turn it into a positive experience. It’s important to get connected to your new home however you can: check out organizations and groups around you, or consider volunteering. Stay connected…

We all spend time alone and are given the same choice: to enjoy our solitude or to loathe this time to ourselves. In choosing the former route, bask in your favorite qualities and enjoy beloved activities—be kind to yourself. If you struggle to enjoy your solitude, you should first recognize…