Give lockdown loneliness the boot this winter with our advice guide!
With the gloomy winter months ahead of us and no sign of the pandemic leaving our lives any time soon, more and more people are being hit with a wave of lockdown loneliness. If you’re feeling melancholy and down, you’re definitely not on your own. Whether the UK’s four-week lockdown ends up being extended or we get thrown back into the tier system, we need to stay positive! Here to help you keep sane in this peculiar situation, we’ve got some helpful tips and advice for you all to follow.
Keep in touch with loved ones
Starting with the most obvious, staying in touch with your friends and family is essential for your wellbeing during lockdown. Although you can’t grab a cuppa at your gran’s or have a catch up with pals in the pub, you can still connect through other means. Phone calls, video chats and in some instances (depending on the government guidelines) socially distanced outings are all ways you can keep in touch with others safely. It’s extremely important that you keep in touch with those you love if you want to avoid lockdown loneliness.
Join an online community
With the technology we have today, more and more people are using the internet to seek advice for all sorts of things. Online forums, communities and groups are all ways of communicating with others without the need to physically meet. Online communities can range from specific interest forums to completely random groups, so you can choose what kind of community you’d like to join. If you’d rather have more of a mental wellbeing support group instead of a hobby-focused community, sites like Together All and SANE are great choices. With a good community to support you, lockdown loneliness will be a thing of the past!
Find a penpal
Similar to a support group or online community, a penpal can be extremely handy in fighting lockdown loneliness. You can find a penpal through various different websites and platforms. The aim is to find another person anywhere in the world, and communicate to them via whatever messaging form you prefer – the traditional way is via letters, but nowadays social media and apps are much easier and efficient.
The great thing about having a penpal from another country is that you get to experience how different cultures and background effect life. The MyJuno app is great for communicating with foreign penpals as it’s messaging system has built-in instant translation, so you can write in your native language and the messages will translate to the other person’s language!
Talk to a professional
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you don’t have to deal with your feelings on your own. Therapy and counselling can be a great way to deal with any issues or feelings you have. As the pandemic has changed how many businesses and services are run, most therapists will work via video call or phonecall for the time being. For those who are new to the idea of therapy, a virtual session might be a good way of slowly adjusting to it rather than lying on that counselling couch!
If you ever feel suddenly overwhelmed, you can also reach out to services such as Mind and Samaritans on their helplines to speak to someone right away. There’s no shame in reaching out for help, whether it’s to deal with lockdown loneliness or something deeper – it’s a normal part of life and nothing to be ashamed of!
So you’ve beaten lockdown loneliness, but how do you beat the boredom?
If you need some help to beat lockdown boredom or just want to keep your mind occupied, we’ve got the perfect mixture of boredom-busting tips and tricks here!
