Do you feel lonely too? (Loneliness) Shall we talk about this?

Oh, sometimes we feel incredibly lonely, don't we? It's like no one is around, like no one understands us. This is something that we all feel at times, not just for little ones. That's why it's so important to talk about this feeling of loneliness, or as it's called in English, ``(Loneliness)'', and to try to overcome it.

What exactly is this loneliness?

Simply put, loneliness is when you want to be close to someone, but you feel distant from them. Imagine, you want to be with your friends, but you feel left out, like no one cares about you. Or, when you want to be with your friends, you feel alone. This feeling is like a little sadness, a loneliness that comes from deep within.

We all get lonely at times. It's normal to feel a little lonely sometimes. It's like a cloud that comes and goes. Most of the time, that feeling of loneliness doesn't last long. It goes away after a while. This is common for a small child, a young person, or an adult.

When you feel lonely, what we really want is to connect with other people, to feel that they understand us, that they care about us, that they appreciate us. And when that happens, that feeling of loneliness melts away, like an ice cube melting in hot water.

Why do we feel so lonely? What are the reasons?

Now let's look at why we feel so lonely. There can be a variety of reasons. While everyone's experience is different, here are some things that can make you feel lonely:

When you feel lonely without someone

Imagine, if your mother or father is away for work, or if your best friend is not as close as before, or if they have gone to a different school. Then it is very lonely without them, isn't it? You can't wait to be with them again, to talk to them. When those happy things, those conversations come back, that loneliness disappears in an instant. It's like going to the village for a holiday and having a happy time with your grandparents, and then coming back home feeling a little lonely without them.

When someone seems angry with you.

Maybe you had a little disagreement or fight with your sister, brother, or friend. Or maybe your mom or dad got a little angry about something you did. When people are no longer happy with each other, you can feel lonely, separated, and sad. But when you talk and become friends again, or when someone says 'sorry,' that distance disappears and your heart feels close again. Then the loneliness also flies away.

When you feel like no one knows what's on your mind

Sometimes we have difficult things, various problems, and worries. When we keep them to ourselves without telling anyone, we feel very lonely and burdened. But when you share what you feel, what you are going through with someone you trust, that difficulty, that burden is greatly reduced. When someone listens to you, understands you, and says, "You are not alone, I am here," that loneliness disappears.

When you feel like others are ignoring you

Sometimes, whether at school, at your workplace, or in other social settings, others may make fun of you, or exclude you from group activities or games. It can be very lonely and painful to feel like you are not accepted, that you do not belong to that group. But if someone talks to you, if you are included – or if you make up your mind and join them – that loneliness is replaced by a warm feeling that you are also part of that group, that society.

When everyone seems so busy

This is something that many people feel these days. Sometimes parents are very busy with their jobs, household chores, siblings with their studies, friends with their work, or everyone else with their phones. Then, when they don't have time to talk, laugh, or spend time together, you can feel a little lonely and resentful. But when family and friends make time to talk to you a little, play a game, have a cup of tea together, or ask you something that's on your mind, instead of that loneliness, you feel their love, closeness, and value.

What can we do when we feel so lonely?

Okay, let's say you're feeling lonely. Then, instead of struggling with that feeling, let's see what you can do to overcome it and ease your mind.

First, identify this feeling, give it a name.

If you feel lonely, first simply observe the feeling. Say to yourself, "I feel lonely right now." If you know why you feel that way, say to yourself, "Maybe I feel lonely because my mom is gone," or "Maybe my friend is angry with me..."

"Don't fight this feeling of loneliness. Don't hurt yourself even more by thinking it's a bad thing. The truth is, you want to get rid of it. It will go away in a while. But before that, realize that you have that feeling, give yourself a little time to accept it."

Then, try doing some of these things to relax your mind.

Once you recognize that feeling, you can try doing one or more of the following things to help you feel better and avoid loneliness:

• Find a friend: Call someone and talk for a while, play a game, or do something else together. When you're together, when you laugh together, that feeling of loneliness quickly disappears, like smoke blowing into the wind.

• Spend time with family: Call your mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, or your siblings and ask them to spend some time with you. Maybe you can play a little game together, go for a short walk, or help in the kitchen to make a meal. When you laugh, talk, and be happy together, you feel loved and cared for, and loneliness doesn't go away.

• Be kind, do something: Do a little favor for someone, say a kind word. It could be your neighbor, a teacher, a passerby, or even someone at home. When you help others, you feel like you are a valuable part of your family, school, or community. When you feel like you belong to someone and are needed, you don't feel lonely.

• Be friendly: Smile and say, "How are you?" to everyone you meet. It could be a friend, a classmate, a new person. Or it could be a teacher, a bus conductor, or a shop assistant. When you are friendly (even if it's just a smile or a word), and other people are friendly to you, the feeling of loneliness will disappear.

• Talk about your feelings: If you feel lonely, tell someone you trust how you feel and why. It could be your mom, dad, best friend, brother, sister, teacher – maybe even your pet. When you share your feelings, when someone listens and understands you, you feel a great sense of closeness and comfort instead of loneliness. You can also share happy feelings this way.

• Enjoy your alone time: Sometimes being alone is good, it frees your mind. Maybe you want to be alone and read a book, draw, listen to a song, dance, ride a bike, sing, do a craft, make something interesting – or just sit and think outside the window. Being alone doesn’t have to mean feeling lonely all the time. You can be your own best friend, spending time with your own thoughts, doing things you enjoy.

• Spend some time with nature: If possible, go outside. Take some time to look at the sky, the clouds, the beautiful trees, the flowers. Listen to the birds singing, the leaves rustling. Feel the smells and sounds around you. Feel the wind on your face, the earth beneath your feet. If you want, stretch your arms up and look at the sky. Take a deep breath and exhale slowly. Experience the wonderful feeling of being part of this big world, this beautiful nature.

A little more about loneliness...

Actually, there's nothing wrong with feeling lonely sometimes. It's a very normal, human feeling. When you feel that way, be kind to yourself, be compassionate with yourself. But remember, don't let this feeling of loneliness control your entire day, your entire mood, your happiness. Once you understand how you feel, you now know that you can do things to feel better and to get rid of that loneliness.

Another thing is that other people can help you feel better. Think about it, if you feel this loneliness for days, maybe weeks, and it doesn't go away, if it affects your daily activities (study, work, housework), if you feel sad all the time, if you get angry all the time, or if you feel like you need more help, then definitely talk to an adult you trust – it could be a parent, a teacher, a university advisor, or a doctor you trust. It's very important. It could be something more than just loneliness, so it's a good idea to get professional help.

So, is it good to remember this?

I think you've learned a lot from what we've talked about. Loneliness is something we all feel at times. There are many things we can do to cope with it and get out of it, without making it a big problem.

• Loneliness is a sad, lonely feeling where you feel alone, like you have no one, and no one understands you. But it's something that we all feel in common.
• Why do you feel lonely? There can be many reasons, such as being lonely without someone you love, being angry with someone, not having anyone to talk to, being left out by others, and being busy with their own work.
• If you feel lonely, first recognize and accept that feeling. Then try to spend time with a friend, family, help someone, be friendly with others, talk about your feelings, enjoy your alone time, and connect with nature.
• Although this feeling is normal, if it persists, if it feels severe, if it affects your life and daily activities, be sure to talk to a trusted adult, a doctor, or a counselor. It will give you a lot of relief.

The bottom line is, you're never truly alone. There's always someone to ask for help, someone to talk to, someone to share your feelings with. All you have to do is reach out.

` Loneliness, Mental Health, Emotions, Advice, Children, Adults, Loneliness