Are You Experiencing Loneliness? Here Are 3 Ways To Fight It.

As an entrepreneur, I experience loneliness a lot. It comes with the territory but it really sucks I do a lot of odd jobs during the day, but at night I’m working on websites, projects, emails to send out, etc.

Between surviving and working, I don’t have a lot of human contact. Do I like that? Not at all, but I know I’m building something for my future, so I put up with it. However many people experience loneliness for different reasons.

Maybe their family abandoned them, or they’ve moved to a new city. Heck, some people have problems mentally and they have loneliness all the time. Whatever the situation, you need to remember that you’re really not alone.

There are billions of people on this planet, all you need is one to talk to.

In addition to that, you have to remember that when you have loneliness, it isn’t your fault, it’s part of our genetic makeup. You were made for a community.

Many people that struggle with loneliness also struggle with depression. They go through these thoughts daily, but even if you’re not depressed, I’m sure you’ve struggled with loneliness. I know because I’ve been there myself. I’ve contemplated horrible things when I feel lonely, and If you’re dealing with any horrible thoughts, I want you to remember this.

You’re here for a reason. You are loved. Our world needs you, and you have something only you can accomplish here.

Why Do I Have Loneliness?

You have loneliness for a couple of different reasons, maybe you’re just sad and there’s no one around at the moment to comfort you?

Or maybe you’ve strived for greatness, only to leave everyone in your dust. Now you’ve woken up and realized that you’re all alone. There are a lot of reasons.

For a long time, I considered myself an extroverted loner. I love to spend time with people, but they eventually annoy me. So I’d disappear. Eventually, I learned about a Samurai Term Called Ronin.

Ronin means drifter, or wanderer in Japanese. Samurai Warriors served warlords in feudal Japan. If a Samurai didn’t serve a lord, they were Ronin. They might have lost their status through many different means, but that didn’t mean much.

They wandered. In the USA, the closest term we have, (but it’s NOT exact) is vagrant. Ronin sounds a lot cooler.

Feel Lonely

My Past Loneliness And Pain Of My Past

Over a decade ago I was attending a ministry school on the other side of the country. It was in the Deep South and I lived there for 5 years. It was where I grew up, made my first friendships outside of school, and in general became an adult. However, I was constantly fighting feelings of being lonely.

After 5 years of Ministry school, I decided to come home. This was to be closer to my family. I didn’t realize how many problems that would develop for me. But that was something I was soon to discover.

All my friends from High School were in college, married, or had moved away. I’d been away for so long that it didn’t make sense to reconnect. And we’d all been through a huge period of growth in our lives, some of us didn’t click anymore.

My best friend from High School and I tried to reconnect, but we’d become two completely different people. It was like talking to a stranger. I was jumping headfirst into being lonely.

I felt like I was falling backward in life. In leaving Mississippi, I’d lost my friends, colleagues, and some really epic people. Then once I got home, and couldn’t reconnect with anyone. I felt alone, disconnected, and began feeling lonely.

Now keep in mind, that I keep saying feeling lonely, but that is really a drab term. It was much worse than that. In fact, I felt completely abandoned and alone. A sense that I had peaked and the next 60-70 years of my life were going to be meaningless and without a personal connection.

I was terrified.

What Does Feeling Lonely Do To A Person?

I spent months drifting aimlessly and I couldn’t figure out what to do. I existed in name only and didn’t accomplish much of anything. I told myself that I made a bad choice, and I was left in the dust.

Eventually, after failing and causing more pain to myself and others. I made a choice that led me to depend on God.

The truth I’ve found is that people come and go, I will love them all while they’re here, but eventually, we will have to part ways.

The key to not feeling lonely is knowing God. He is the one who can direct and guide you, and he can help you through any pain you feel.

Walking through pain helps us realize there’s something more to life. It helps us see the good and separate it from the bad. It sucks, but in some ways, it can be helpful to direct and guide our paths. If you have loneliness, remember that Jesus is always near, waiting to speak with you.

(If you need help hearing the voice of God, click on the link and read my post on it)

When You Have Loneliness You’ll Have To Fight Mental Battles

The entire world is full of broken and lonely people, (right now I’m writing this in an apartment I rent all alone).

I honestly believe one of the reasons people experience loneliness stems from social issues. A lot of people never learn how to properly connect with others. Which is frustrating when it starts as early as Kindergarten and goes through college.

I’d hate to experience loneliness that long…and I pray for those who do…

Many others are stunted because we don’t know how to let go of things and forgive. But that’s a topic for another blog.

This is a huge cause of loneliness, our pain. We don’t know what to do with it, and we’re scared someone will see it inside of us. So fear grips our hearts and we’re terrified of someone else getting to know us. If they really know us, then they’ll find out about the bad things, and then they won’t like coming around anymore.

That got dark really quick, but understand that everyone has their weaknesses and darkness. It doesn’t surprise many.

What is it like to have loneliness?

The trick about loneliness is that it is a self-fulfilling prophecy. We don’t want others to know us. This might be because of something bad we hide, or believe is inside us. So we push people away, and when you push people away, you become lonely.

Then we feel bad again…so we push away more.

Eventually, people will stop coming around, and you begin to believe you were right. Everyone finally deserted you, so you were right about everything.

But it’s a hollow victory if you can even call it that. In reality, you’ve lost everything.

If you find yourself at this point, you have to make a choice. Will you fight? Or Will you run? When you fight for yourself, that means breaking out of your loneliness and connecting with people. No matter the cost It’s worth it. If you run, well nothing will change, in fact, your depression and feelings of loneliness will get worse.

I know pain, I’ve lived with it my entire life, we are old friends. Everyone has a story of heartache and pain, you can’t go through life without it. So I know I’m not alone in that. Do you finally want to heal?

Loneliness

How Do I Know if I Have Loneliness?

When Ronin Samurai traveled to Japan. They were looking for family or a person worthy to receive them. It was similar to how I felt coming home (not claiming to be a Samurai, just comparing how people can have loneliness). I wanted to serve in a church somewhere, and find a friend group. I didn’t know where it was, or how I would find it. But I had to believe it was out there. 

A lot of times you won’t know if you are experiencing loneliness or not until something happens. For me, a crisis will hit, and I know that I should talk with someone, however, I have nobody to talk with.

That is the worst moment to find out, and you spin deeper into depression, and that makes you feel more lonely.

Loneliness, is something I feel regularly, especially at the moment. This is why I’m writing this, I know it’s something that has to be shared. I have nobody to call and worse yet, that is my fault. I get so focused on other things that I lose all the people around me.

Friends and family are so important in life. It’s a scientific fact that people with close friends and family live longer.

I know what you’re saying, “You don’t know my family.”

That may be true, if that’s the case, get some close friends. I know some people can be annoying, but wouldn’t you rather hear the same story for the 50th time than sit alone on a Saturday night?

The Cure When You Experience Loneliness

Ask Jesus For Help When You’re Lonely:

The biggest thing you can do is ask Jesus for help. Even in those dark days, I could always turn to him. He was the one that gave me the strength to fight, and he gave me peace when my friends abandoned me.

It’s understandable if you don’t know what to say. Sometimes asking for help is all you need. Just say what’s on your heart, and make sure you listen. He’ll be there, I promise you.

Find A Group Of Friends If You Have Loneliness:

This one is really hard to accomplish. You’ll know it when you do though, and it’ll be epic. It took me years but I found a group of friends that truly love me, and that love will see me through everything.

The Bible says perfect love casts out all fear and brings healing to brokenness. Are you weary, wounded, depressed, lonely? I was all those things and more. The choices I made brought me to an amazing place. It’s still a difficult path to walk, but at least it’s a path of my own choosing.

Giving my life to Jesus is a daily thing, and it didn’t make things easier. In many ways, it became harder, but now I have someone to share life with. Having a person that loves you, and cares what happens. That makes all the difference. Make sure you find that person.

Even if you’re not ready for Jesus, we were created to live in a community. Don’t isolate yourself. Find some friends that truly care for you, and share what’s going on in your life. You’ll be glad you did it.

Get Out For Some Exercise:

When I get hit with loneliness, one of the things I like to do is exercise. Sometimes it’s just the feeling and not my reality. By exercising you’re allowing your body to reset, and release endorphins that make you feel better.

In some places, you can’t really go outside to exercise. I’m in Minneapolis so I totally get it but find something that you enjoy and it raises your heart rate. I guarantee it’ll work for you.

Find A Hobby:

Hobbies are a great way to combat loneliness. It’ll divert your attention and help you see things from a different angle. I play video games, cook, and write snowboard blogs.

Places To Go When You Feel Loneliness:

Sometimes when I’m busy writing, I’ll find myself alone and feeling horrible. Working for myself in my home office has its perks, but working alone sucks sometimes. When this happens, I go out and try to find a place with a lot of people.

Places that would work:

  • Coffee Shops
  • The Zoo
  • A Library
  • Anyplace With Wifi
  • Grocery Stores

The list could be endless, but these are places I visit, where I can have some small human interaction. It reduces my feelings of loneliness and I’m able to keep going. Let me know if I forgot anything in the comments.

In Conclusion:

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