How to cope with loneliness over winter
Over winter, with the darker evenings, feelings of loneliness can seem more overwhelming than ever.
It doesn’t matter who you are, where you are from or what you do, it is very normal to feel lonely sometimes, especially if someone important to you has died. Over winter, with the darker evenings, feelings of loneliness can seem more overwhelming than ever. The good news is there are things you can do to help with these feelings:
Try not to feel embarrassed that you have these feelings, everyone feels lonely at times. Imagine it was your friend who was lonely, you would probably want to know so you could help them. Important people in your life are likely to be a great support if you reach out and share with them how you are feeling. If speaking to someone directly feels too much, why not drop them a message, set up a group chat, or write down how you are feeling to share with them.
Taking part in an activity that you enjoy can help to make you feel positive and less lonely. Distraction is a great way to get rid of unwanted, negative feelings, and doing something you enjoy helps to improve your overall mental health and wellbeing.
Don’t be too hard on yourself for feeling lonely. Instead, focus on being kind to yourself. Take time to relax, do something nice for yourself, make yourself feel special and valued. All these things can help to increase your confidence and self-esteem. You could even try saying or thinking some positive affirmations (positive words and sentences about yourself) to boost your mood. (This might sound silly, but there's proof that this really works for some people!)
You don’t have to have amazing artistic skills to enjoy expressing yourself. Take some time to do an activity that may help to express how you are feeling. Music, art, exercise, writing and dance are all great ways to let out those difficult emotions.
Consider joining a new group or trying a new activity where you can meet other people who enjoy similar things to you. At first, it might seem really difficult to do something new, but chances are everyone will be feeling the same, and once you meet everyone for the first time, you’ll probably make a lot of new friends.
Social media can help you to connect to other people if you don’t feel able to go out and socialise. It might be linking up with friends, old and new, or watching YouTube or TikTok videos about things that interest you. Just remember to take regular screen breaks and only access content that makes you feel better.
Remember, help is available if you are not coping with these lonely feelings. Reach out to Winston’s Wish for support.
If you need to talk, we’re here to listen. You can speak to the Winston’s Wish bereavement team using one of our confidential on-demand services. You can chat with us anonymously if you wish and share whatever you are feeling. Nothing about your grief is off limits. We promise to listen, not judge and can offer advice and guidance if needed. You can speak to us as little or as often as you want.
Click the blue ‘Chat with us’ button at the bottom right of your screen between 8am-8pm, weekdays.
Call us for free on 08088 020 021 between 8am-8pm, weekdays.
If it’s urgent, text WW to 85258 to speak with someone from our trusted partner, Shout. Open 24/7.
If you need to speak to us in a language other than English, we can use interpreters over the phone, and we can use the Relay UK app if you have hearing or speech difficulties.
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