Strategies to cope with loneliness/ to boost your mental health in today’s increasingly contactless world!

[Thegrassroots26]

Mid 40s, divorced mum of 2 teen DDs. Lovely girls, but as expected have their own lives and so more alone time for me than ever.
Hit me with your strategies when the loneliness or existential dread kicks in!

HRT. Seriously.

Also, don't drink alcohol. For me, existential dread and impending feeling of doom 100% correlate to the day after me drinking alcohol.

Other than that, all the usual stuff. Exercise (maybe in a group with others?), find things that make you laugh / make you happy, treat yourself well, spend time with your friends. In my case that means going for walks and coffee with friends on a Saturday, watching TV that makes me laugh, going to the theatre with DD (who likes the same things I do) very occasionally when money allows. Reading.

Personally I joined every group I could find.

kept the nice ones.

Find some stuff to get involved with, volunteer, join a gym (the classes can be quite sociable if that is what you are after), there are things like knitting groups and choirs around here too which are popular, just think about what you want to do and you will no doubt find something.

Also say yes more to invites etc, I’ve gotten into a bad habit of always declining stuff because my kids were young and I was tired and just couldn’t be bothered but now my kids are older I’m still doing it and need to stop!