What Do YOU Do When You Are Lonely?

[Case]

This is for anyone who has ever felt lonely and has done something to combat it.

I will begin. Today, I wasn't in a particularly lonely mood, but I was alone and I decided to watch a stand-up comedy special on NetFlix. I laughed my ass off. (Literally. I had to pick it up and glue it back on. lol)

Anyway, I realized how this hour-plus comedy special erased my loneliness completely. At least, until it was over. How cool is it that we can do something, even if it's watch a movie, enjoy a hobby, or read a book, and we are no longer that vulnerable person we thought we were, but a vibrant human being with potential and verve? (Or, just a guy on his couch watching Netflix. lol)

When you are feeling the sting of loneliness and you want to break out of it, what do YOU do?

 

[Alonewith2cats]

One thing that temporarily makes me feel better is to get swept away by music. I love to sing along to songs and I use you-tube as a karayoke machine by finding songs with lyrics on the screen or I'll turn on the radio or play a CD and sing along to great songs. Another thing that helps is my cell phone. I talk to people, my mom, girl friends, I text. Going out for lunch or dinner or ice cream, even if it's by myself is an indulgence that gets my mind on tasting delicious food instead of loneliness.

My loneliness is at a manageable level now. There are times when I feel really sad and there is emptiness, mostly I feel this when I'm coming home from work and when I'm alone in my apartment. But I do have some girl friends that I can talk to and that I sometimes hang out with when they're not too busy and that's good. What I currently suffer from most is touch deprivation and there isn't a whole lot I can do about that now. Somebody said you need 4 hugs a day for survival, 8 hugs a day for maintenance and 12 a day for growth. Well, I think that's unrealistic. Because I get zero on most days (unless you count cuddles from cats) which means that when I do find a love interest who I can be affectionate with on a regular basis it's going to be electrifying.

 

[Locke]

I used to play video games to combat loneliness. Big open world games with a lot of NPCs and content like Skyrim always worked the best, because I could pretend I was talking to people and living a life.

I guess that probably sounds crazy. Doesn't work anymore anyway.

 

[LoneKiller]

I usually come here or play chess over the phone with members from my chess club who don't have the internet. Petting the dog and playing around with her and her stuffed animal toys.

 

[Sci-Fi]

I usually just play an online game by myself, or draw.

 

[Sigma]

I usually just play an online game by myself, or draw.

Exactly this

 

[OnlyMe]

I love listening to music and even more when I am feeling lonely.

 

[ladyforsaken]

I used to watch Ellen, and that helped.

 

[hobit124]

I don't feel lonely after I have got married because of my husband and daughter. I don't get much time to think whether I am alone or not because I have many other headaches in my life like my house, my parents, my own family and my job.

 

[Shipster0958]

I usually play a game.

 

[TX Rock Chick]

I love to listen to music. I feel like I have a soundtrack to my life. Songs bring up memories and I use specific songs to trigger happy memories. I also live vicariously through books. When I put down a book the real world intrudes again. I live in Texas and when it is not so hot that it melts the bottom of my shoes, I walk my dogs.

 

[Jerasmussen]

Music. Definitely. A good book and some cool jazz or ambient electronica in the background.