Right now, lots of people are feeling a sense of loneliness. We are living in strange and odd times. Life is mostly on pause and we are being told to stay home where possible. However, with the sudden slow-down of lifestyles comes loneliness and the overwhelming feeling of isolation as we embrace social distancing and life inside our homes. The scariest thought of all is, how long will all of this last? Although, it is important to remember that we are not trapped but instead, we are keeping ourselves and others safe.
I thought I would put together a list of ideas to help you cope with the feeling of loneliness during this Coronavirus pandemic.
Learn to Love Your Own Company
Part of these changes is learning to love your own company. This can be a challenge for lots of us, but really, you are amazing, you are coping and you should appreciate your own self-worth. Even amongst the chaos, don’t forget your self-care routine and looking after yourself as well as others. If you are unsure about self-care and what it means, then check out this previous blog post.
“When you learn to love your own company, you become far more careful about whom you spend your time with.” – Anonymous.
We have become so used to being surrounded by people, and you still are, except for now those people are a little further away than before. You will always have you and therefore, embracing your own company is the first step towards overcoming the feeling of loneliness and isolation.
Get Out and Exercise
Under the government guidelines in the UK, we are allowed out for 1-hour of daily exercise near our home. Whilst the weather is beautiful, getting out and breathing in fresh air is essential to keep your physical and mental health steady. You must walk, run or cycle near to your home and maintain the social distancing restrictions in place. Just a 15-minute walk around your neighbourhood will do the trick though.
Being stuck in isolation can be even more challenging you are struggling with mobility issues. However, despite the unprecedented times, Age Mobility UK * is in association with Age UK and is there to support the elderly with accessibility to facilitate an active life where possible. So if you know someone who is struggling, then they are worth checking out alongside their advice on coping with loneliness during these times as well as practical ideas for supporting the elderly in your community.
Talk and Catch-Up
Talk, talk, talk. Arguably the most important aspect for overcoming loneliness is talking to those who are close to you. You might not be able to talk face-to-face but there are other ways of keeping communication. Sites such as Zoom, Messenger and Skype are perfect for keeping in touch. You can talk over the phone or on Facetime to see each other.
For the past few weeks, my friends and I have been hosting a weekly quiz on a Thursday night to keep morale high. You could host your own quiz, play some party games, read stories to younger members of your family or just have a catch-up.
Start a New Hobby
With all this spare time on your hands, now is the perfect time to start a new hobby. You could learn to paint or draw, crochet or take photos. Now is the perfect chance to start writing that novel you always wanted to do or tend to your garden. The list of possibilities is endless.
Enjoy the Calm
This kind of opportunity does not come up often. It is strange and unknown to most of us. However, now is the chance to enjoy the calm. Take the quietness into your arms and hold onto it. Whilst we all await the opportunity for our usual fast-paced lifestyles to kick start once more; for now, this is all we have so let’s make the most of it.
Some other ideas:
- Read some of my old blog posts, want to escape to Walt Disney World – yes, me too.
- Spend hours playing the new Animal Crossing, why not?
- Binge watch a new Netflix series – I mean, Tiger King is a must if you haven’t seen it already.
- Bake a cake and spend hours decorating it.
- Cook from scratch… not my forte.
- Take some up gardening.
- Tidy the junk draw and have a clear out.
**Disclaimer: This post is in collaboration with Age UK Mobility.
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