How To Deal With Loneliness Over Christmas

Christmas is a great time of year. Most of us are lucky enough to have our families, we get to spend quality time with them, and create beautiful new memories.

Even if you do have all that, it's still possible to feel the crippling loneliness creeping up on us.

Are you lonely?

Loneliness can affect anyone and everyone. But for some people, this feeling can be turned up to ten at this time of year. We see in a lot of adverts that loneliness is focused on the older generation, but that doesn't mean that young people can't feel this way too.

If you do feel this way, just know that you're not alone. Many people are in the same boat, especially over Christmas. It can be really hard to see others happy when you feel this horrible loneliness creep in you.

So how can you make this feeling better? How can I help out a friend who is feeling this way?

With a lot of love and a lot of patience. Feeling lonely can sometimes put you in a state where you don't want to hang out with anyone, so here are some small pointers to help out yourself or someone else.

1. Be there for each other

If you have a friend that is feeling alone, be with them. Watch movies with them, do what they want to do.

Loneliness can take up a lot of energy inside you, you just feel absolutely exhausted all the time and you don't know what to do. Let someone just sit with you, explain to them what you need.

2. Invite them out

I remember the main reason I felt incredibly lonely last year was because I was never invited out. Some of your friends might not like going out to certain places, but invite them anyway. Make them feel included and cared for.

If it's you that's feeling lonely, then why not find some people to do something with? This could be inviting friends out or volunteering somewhere you can meet people. As hard as it is to make that first step, you'll feel so much better for it.

3. Talk to them

Super obvious, right? I know, it's a very basic one. If you run into your friend, have a conversation with them. Get them to open up about how they are feeling.

Some people who are lonely won't talk about their feelings for fear of being a burden, but make it so they don't feel that way.

It can be so so hard to open up and talk about how you are feeling, everything inside you tells you not to do it, because it will only push people further away.

I know how that feels, it's like ripping off a plaster, it'll hurt for a second, but then you'll start to heal, slowly.

4. Keep it simple

There's not a lot of tips and here's why. It's hard to give advice about a topic that is as delicate as this one. Loneliness affects a lot of people and people who are feeling lonely will want to do different things about it.

These tips are basic, and they are basic for a reason. These are the tools to start making your friend feel less lonely. The rest? You and your friends will figure it out because no person is the same.

If you're feeling lonely, please reach out for help. You are not a burden for feeling this way, and you certainly won't push anyone away from opening up. I know it's difficult, I can't lie and say it'll be easy. Make sure you have supportive friends and family around you and it will get easier.

Moving back home for Christmas driving you crazy? Missing your uni friends? Here's how to cope with moving back home for Christmas.