Did you know that left unaddressed, chronic loneliness can cause the same amount of damage to your lifespan as smoking 15 cigarettes a day?
Fast facts:
- Nearly half of adults say they often feel alone (46%). Children are no exception.
- In a recent survey, 2/3 of 11-17-year-old teens indicated they felt stressed out by loneliness.
Signs of loneliness:
Younger children
- They create imaginary friends.
- They seem clingy/ ask you to play with them more than usual.
- They seek your attention by misbehaving.
- They act timid or unsure of themselves.
- They cry more often than other children of their age
Adolescents and teens:
- Retreat to their rooms for long periods.
- Seem sad
- Start talking to you more than usual
- Appear not to have friends to hang out with
- No longer hang out with friends outside of school
- Talk negatively about themselves
Common causes of loneliness
Certain life circumstances may cause children and teens to feel lonely:
- Experiencing the transition of moving to a new neighbourhood
- Adjusting to a new school environment
- Going through the process of divorce within the family
- Coping with the departure of an older sibling from home
- Navigating through the challenge of being single while friends have romantic relationships
- Dealing with conflicts and disagreements within friendships
- Facing bullying and its effects
- Coping with the loss of a family member
Source: http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/
How to combat loneliness?
Help others – volunteering is a great way to form meaningful connections with others. It is also a natural way to add some purpose to your life. Do you have causes you feel passionate about?
Reconnect with old friends – Have you lost touch with a good friend from elementary school? A friend in a town that you lived in before? Just because you don’t see someone doesn’t mean they can’t be a valuable friend every day.
Try something new – Is there something you’ve always wanted to try but never have? A hobby or activity that you want to try out? Sign up or join.
Figure out if something is missing from your life – There are many ways to feel lonely. Maybe you have a group of friends but wish you had someone special. Perhaps you would like to be part of a group. The following article might be helpful:
Make time for extended family – If you have cousins or other relatives around your age within a reasonable distance, make a plan to get together.
Watch something that makes you laugh.
Put on your favourite funny show or movie and smile. Guaranteed, you will feel better in no time.
Turn your activities into group activities. Invite friends for a swim, sports (street soccer, cricket), board games or an art class. Go with a group of friends to watch a sports match.
Spend time with animals.
Hanging out with pets, especially cats and dogs, is a great way to feel less lonely.
Try an app that has counsellors who would love to talk to you.
Write down five things you love about yourself – Part of the pain of loneliness is to start feeling negative about yourself. Boost your self-esteem by writing down five things you love about yourself or are good at. It helps to prevent negative thoughts from taking over.
Source: http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/back-school
Resource:
Loneliness is Hard (For Kids and Teens) | Mental Health America. https://mhanational.org/loneliness-hard-kids-and-teens