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**𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐋 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐇 𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒**
The theme of Mental Health Awareness week this year is Loneliness and so I wanted to share some information on what Loneliness can feel like and tips for how we can help each other and ourselves!
Loneliness can sometimes be confused with being alone however some people can feel perfectly content spending time by themselves. It is therefore subjective and can look and feel different for each individual!
What Loneliness can feel like:
· Frustration
· Lack of purpose
· Anxiety or Stress
· Trapped
· Not having meaningful connections with others
· Tiredness
· Loss of confidence
· Isolating
· Not feeling important to anyone
· No-one to talk to or share good news with
· Numbing
· Feeling alone even when surrounded by others
· In extreme cases it can cause thoughts surrounding self-harm and even suicide.
What we can do:
· Keep Talking!! Speaking to others is vitally important and key to breaking the stigma surrounding mental health. This is something we need to do all year round and not just this week.
Perhaps take some time in your day to call someone you haven’t spoken to in a while, this could be a colleague, friend or family member. Encourage them to then do the same thing!
· Do not compare yourself to others. This is something that everyone can suffer from and it’s important that we think about our own goals rather than focus on how others are doing. You can also consider taking days off social media - remember- everyone is putting their ‘best self’ on social media and the reality can be completely different.
· Do something you enjoy. Look for others who share your interest and maybe even join a group. Common interests can assist in facilitating meaningful connections and taking the time to do something you enjoy doing will improve your mood.
· Help someone else. Doing something kind for someone else is a great way to feel good. A simple act of kindness to someone you know or even a stranger can have a huge impact.
· Self-care. Go for a run, walk or gym class, have a bath, drink some tea, treat yourself to a spa day, binge watch your favorite shows ..etc – Taking care of your own needs is important!
· Speak to one of the number of organisations that are striving to combat Loneliness.
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