We’ve all experienced loneliness in our lives before. Loneliness can take a toll on your physical and mental health unfortunately. In this article we’ll also look into what you can do to help fight off loneliness.

In short according to Oxford learner’s dictionary, loneliness is a feeling of sadness from the lack of being with people. Especially in times where it can become harder to spend time with your friends for example. For the sake of simplicity we will be focusing on loneliness instead of social isolation. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) social isolation is when a person doesn’t have the social connections that they need. It is also important to note that the CDC also mentions that the feeling of loneliness can still appear even if you’re with other people.

There are several negative effects that loneliness has on your health. When loneliness becomes chronic it can become a more serious health issue. According to Cigna, chronic loneliness is when you feel lonely for very long periods of time. They also talked about the health problems chronic loneliness may cause. These include heart disease, mental health issues, sleep disorders and more. I interviewed some students at Saint Joseph High school to see how loneliness has affected them.

Current student Michael explains, “…If I don’t really have a conversation with someone… I’m not anxious, but I get kind of sad. Like people either don’t want to talk to me or I’m not wanted.” 

Another student reveals, “… I don’t really think of myself as a social person, but not being with people as much has just made me feel …. sad all the time.”

As we know loneliness has several negative effects, but let’s look at what you can do to help fight it off. Nowadays it’s important to use technology to keep in touch. Many social media platforms allow video calls which can help to fend off loneliness. You can also try meditation which has been shown to help improve your mental health. Of course though there is always the option to speak to a therapist if you believe the issue becomes too much.

In a time where it’s much harder to be with people, we often feel lonely. It’s important to use technology to keep in touch, and to maybe try some meditation. Never feel afraid or embarrassed to talk about your mental health.