Rushing around all day every day to get through your to-do list is one of the signs of lonely people. Filling your day with activities that prevent you from connecting with others is a way lonely people fill the void they feel inside.
When someone feels lonely they are more likely to try to distract themselves with the other things in their lives. So if your colleague is always talking about their stamp collection, or always flying away on exotic solo city breaks rather than spending weekends at home, they might be feeling alone.
Individuals with high levels of loneliness, the data showed, tended to hide their feelings and suppress their emotional expression (a strategy called expressive suppression). In addition, they tended not to seek social support and to reject the social support offered.
Most people who experience loneliness have feelings of sadness, emptiness, or disconnectedness. It is also common to feel misunderstood, insecure, and exhausted.
Physical signs of loneliness may include cold or flu-like symptoms that linger longer than usual, headaches, body aches, and insomnia or hypersomnia. With loneliness and isolation, attention is more inwardly focused.
"Lacking encouragement from family or friends, those who are lonely may slide into unhealthy habits," Valtorta says. "In addition, loneliness has been found to raise levels of stress, impede sleep and, in turn, harm the body. Loneliness can also augment depression or anxiety."
The feelings of loneliness can lead to a loss of confidence and influence behaviour, perhaps causing people to withdraw from contact with others.
Loneliness causes people to feel empty, alone, and unwanted. People who are lonely often crave human contact, but their state of mind makes it more difficult to form connections with others.
There are different types of loneliness: emotional, and social and existential loneliness.
Among respondents ages 16 to 24, 40% reported feeling lonely very often—the largest group to do so. Loneliness among young adults was 13 percentage points higher than other age groups.
To be happy alone, experts say that it can help to try exercising, spending time in nature, or volunteering. Taking a break from social media or adopting a pet can also help you feel less lonely. However, if you are struggling to feel happy alone, it may be worth seeking medical help.
If you've experienced ongoing feelings of loneliness, it can have negative effects on your physical health. It could lead to weight gain, sleep deprivation, poor heart health, and a weakened immune system. Loneliness can also put your body under more stress than normal.
Loneliness can cause people to experience feelings of sadness, anger or helplessness. Over time, they may feel depressed or anxious, question their self-worth or think their situation will never improve.
Introverts can also sometimes be considered loners. These are people who enjoy time alone, not necessarily because they don't like being around other people, but rather because they are more interested in their own inner thoughts and feelings. Spending quality time by themselves is how they are able to regain energy.
Be there. Simply being there for them can let them know that someone cares. Don't be afraid to ask them how they are feeling or if there's anything you can do to help. Having someone who is willing to listen could be a great comfort.
“The worst kind of loneliness in the world is isolation that comes from being misunderstood. It can make people lose their grasp on reality.”
In other words, loneliness is the mental or emotional discomfort you may experience from either being alone or feeling as though you are alone. This feeling stems from your social needs not being met and/or an inability to get the social connection you desire.
Biologists have shown that feelings of loneliness trigger the release of stress hormones that in turn are associated with higher blood pressure, decreased resistance to infection and increased risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
A brain imaging study showed that feeling ostracized actually activates our neural pain matrix. In fact, several studies show that ostracizing others hurts us as much as being ostracized ourselves. We can hypothesize that, similarly, loneliness is associated with the pain matrix.
Differences in loneliness in men and women
According to research, women express feelings of loneliness more than men. However, one study showed that, actually, women might not feel lonelier than men, but may in fact be more comfortable admitting they feel lonely.
Some research suggests that loneliness is associated with an increased risk of certain mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, sleep problems and increased stress.
Poor social skills often lead to stress and loneliness, which can negatively affect physical as well as mental health.
Being lonely, like other forms of stress, increases the risk of emotional disorders like depression, anxiety and substance abuse. Less obviously, it also puts people at greater risk of physical ailments that seem unrelated, like heart disease, cancer, stroke, hypertension, dementia and premature death.
Solitude improves psychological well-being.
But solitary skills could be help you become mentally stronger. Studies have found people who set aside time to be alone tend to be happier. They report better life satisfaction and lower levels of stress.