Overcoming Loneliness

Trust me when I say that everyone deals with loneliness. It may not be obvious, it may not be to the same extent, but everyone has moments or circumstances where they feel lonely. When it comes down to it, we all have a deep desire to be loved and appreciated by others, and when we don’t feel like we’ve received that, we feel lonely. It may not seem this way because as humans we are so good at protecting ourselves, adding layers to mask the truth behind the feelings we have. But that is usually an engineered, defensive facade that is used out of self-preservation.

Overall, I think loneliness is misunderstood. Just because you’re alone doesn't mean you’re lonely. In fact when we start to embrace our alone time we find there’s a lot of power and growth to be found in it. It’s fundamental to gaining self-awareness and standing in your independence, helping you find value in what you think of yourself and not completely dependent on what others think. There’s nothing lonely about being alone, and there’s a different word for it - It’s called solitude. 

So when you’re feeling lonely, try reframing it as solitude. See loneliness as an opportunity to celebrate you, to get to know yourself better, and to focus your attention on your own well-being. It might be difficult if you have frequent and extended bouts of loneliness, but in any case I’d encourage you to view it from a larger lens. This independent time in your life is teaching you something you need to learn about yourself, and when it’s all said and done you’ll be ready to experience a new level of happiness, connection, and alignment.