Are we ever really alone?

BY COLLEEN LINDBERG

There are times in our lives where we just plain old feel alone. You might be in that space right now. It’s the time where maybe all your family is away, you just moved to a new place, you transition in your career or you just get out of a relationship. It’s the moment where you are sitting by yourself (you might not even be sitting, you could be in a busy place and still feel this way) and you think “I am alone”. Then you might get sad, you might feel hurt or maybe you take a breath and are relieved. Whatever reaction you have it’s common and know that other people are feeling the same way you are.

So, the real question comes down to, are we ever really alone? In essence, the answer is no, but we really do feel that way sometimes. So, what can we do to not feel alone, or to alleviate that feeling to some degree? Here are some thoughts.

1) If you are an animal lover like I am, go to a shelter and hold some puppies. How can you feel alone when you are covered in puppy kisses. This act will also make your heart full and maybe you might end up taking one home with you. Then whenever you feel that alone feeling, you never are because you have an animal that loves and adores you in your life.

2) Get out of your house. Go to the park and people watch. Just the sheer fact of you getting out of the zone where your emotions can be heightened can change your state of mind. If you are into certain classes, join a class, go to the gym, go to the movie theater. Head to places where there are people that you can be around. It doesn’t mean that you have to talk to them, it just helps shift your state of mind when you are around others.

3) Watch a comedy movie to make you laugh. Gut belting laughter is always the best medicine. It’s always hard to be sad and alone when you are laughing so hard.

4) Lastly, reach out to people in your life. Go out for a drink, have dinner with them, meet them for breakfast or just even calling them and talking to them can help. If you are like me, you might think that you are bothering people. But trust me, people in our lives want to be there for us, they want to help us. So, let them. They are there for you, just like you are for them. Remember that time that you helped your friend out? You picked them up, or was there with ice cream and wine when they got dumped? Yep… they want to be there for you too.

Out of everything, just remember that you are never really alone. Sometimes the depth of what we are going through can make it feel that way, but there are solutions and a lot of help out there if you want to seek it. So, from my human heart to yours… I am sending you love and warmth.