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American scientists said: loneliness is a virus that can be caught in the same way as, say, the flu. They studied the mental state of 5100 people for 10 years and found that loneliness can indeed be contagious! It is enough for one person to feel abandoned, as this feeling spreads to people from his circle.
– If you regularly communicate with a lonely person, your chances of becoming lonely also increase by 50 percent, assures University of Chicago professor John Cascioppo.
Is it really true?
“In fact, in order to be “infected” with loneliness, a person must have reduced immunity,” believes psychologist Nina Petrochenko. – Only a depressed and tired person can “get sick” with it.
What to do if you already feel abandoned?
1. Understand why there is not enough strength
At the root of the problem is stress. In this state, you are like a stretched string. There is no strength, time, desire to communicate. This is a vicious circle: a person needs social connections, nourishment from others. We must try to understand what is tormenting you, and get rid of the “tormentor”. This is the first step towards getting rid of loneliness.
2. Turn off your phone
“We have literally grown together with telephones,” continues Nina Petrochenko. – And if you are subconsciously connected with the world all the time, the psyche does not rest. Make sure to turn off your cell phones at night. Only in this way will you let the psyche relax and rest. It’s the same with vacations: go somewhere where you won’t be staring at the screen all the time. Then there will be no inexplicable desire to be alone.
3. Stop posting photos
– Have you ever wondered why you go to social networks all the time, leave posts and photos there? The mechanism is simple: you want to be noticed and praised. It’s like shouting: “I’m here, pay attention to me!” Obviously, a person lacks communication, support, perhaps he has low self-esteem. But social media is a different reality. There is only the appearance of communication with a minimum of emotional return. If a person constantly posts photos on social networks, this is already an addiction and a reason to turn to an expert.
4. You need to hug
According to psychologists, a person feels comfortable if he is surrounded by 2 – 3 truly close people. With whom you can share any problem and get support. And it would be nice to hug close people. Even the specific recommended number of hugs is called – eight times a day. But, of course, hugs should be by mutual agreement and only with the closest.
5. Sports and physical activity
“Physical activity also helps to fight the feeling of loneliness,” our expert assures. Walk more, even in winter. Swimming in the pool also helps. You will feel a pleasant tiredness – and no aching feeling of loneliness.