Coping with loneliness is one of today’s leading social problems and it is ruining our health. Research has shown that loneliness has many health risks associated with it such as depression, stress and anxiety. Most of us have suffered with loneliness at some point in our lives. When loneliness begins to lead to isolation and depression, action is needed to remedy it.

The decline in people who are involved in various community organizations has seriously declined over the years. The majority of people today don’t even know who their neighbors are. With the hectic and fast paced lives we all have, we are not making room for others in our lives and it is leading to loneliness and depression.

Even married couples are coping with loneliness. Everyone needs friends and you can’t expect one single relationship to meet every emotional requirement and keep us from being lonely.

In order to stop the loneliness in our lives, we must first understand the cause. The cure will be a self help process of changing our lifestyle and building confidence in ourselves. Our self esteem needs to be boosted and all negative self talk must stop in order to help us cope with the pain of loneliness.

There are many different causes of loneliness. A few of the most common are poor self esteem, loss of a loved one, sickness and shyness. Each needs to be dealt with differently. The first step is to discover which is the cause of your loneliness. Have you always been a lonely person or have circumstances caused your loneliness?

Building self confidence and self esteem is essential to getting rid of loneliness. The best way to do this is to become your own best friend. You must treat yourself as you would a dear friend. Be kind to yourself. Say nice things to yourself. Praise your accomplishments.

One process that is very helpful in overcoming loneliness is visualization. Get comfortable and close your eyes. Visualize yourself in a social situation such as at a party. Image yourself talking and laughing and having a great time. Visualize the situation in great detail.

This visualization process will help you feel more comfortable when you really do start attending social events. Before you go to any event, visualize how you would like it to go. Imagine making lots of new friends and having fun. You will be pleasantly surprised how well this works.

To stop your loneliness, you must come out of your comfort zone and get out and meet new people.  Think about what your hobbies and interests are.  The most compatible people will be ones that have the same interests as you.  So the best way to meet these people is to join a club or special interest group .  Be thinking about the different groups you might join or maybe you could volunteer someplace.  If you have a favorite hobby, you could take a class.  There are lots of adult education classes or exercise classes that you could join to meet new people.  

All you have to do is to round up the courage to go.  Just walk out your door and do it.  You will be surprised how accepting people are of someone new in their group.  You will be happier and healthier when you don’t have to cope with being lonely anymore.

Spending more time with family is also important.  Reach out to as many people as possible to banish loneliness from your life.  There is no need to spend your life in isolation and loneliness.  You have the power to change it.  Don’t wait until tomorrow, start today.