After my webinar on social integration (October 6, 2022), I received many questions about loneliness.
What is loneliness?
We often confuse a feeling of loneliness with the state of "being alone"...
Being alone is a given situation. I have no friends. I came to a new place where I don’t know people. This is usually the case at the beginning of the process of relocation to a new place. But not only.
I remember that when I arrived in Belgium, for the first days, I was alone. I just didn't know anyone except my partner who went to work every morning. This manifested itself in the fact that I stayed at home all day because I did not work or study. I had no interaction with people.
Loneliness is a subjective state. There are people around me but I still feel lonely. This happens because people have not found meaningful relationships. They have friends but they feel that their relationships are insignificant.
Either way, the feeling is terrible.
Feeling lonely is a feeling that can lead to depression, dysfunction and avoidance. This is why it is important to seek help.
I would like to give three tips for finding friends:
(Of course, everyone has a different life journey and a different place of residence. These are very general tips).
1. Be proactive. Initiate meetings. People like to be invited.
2. Courses. Go to classes that interest you. There you will meet people similar to you, with common interests.
3. Accept invitations positively. Even if it seems like it will be boring... who knows who will be there? Maybe there will be someone who is just as bored as you are?
If you have more tips, share them with us and maybe we’ll be able to help others.
Wishing you an excellent journey!
Dr. Efrat Tzadik, personal development coach
"Finding the home away from home"