Feelings of Loneliness: A Growing Issue

Loneliness is common – it’s a part of life.

In 2022, 49.63% of adults (25.99 million people) in the UK reported feeling lonely occasionally, sometimes, often or always.

Every person will have or will go on to feel loneliness at some point. You might feel lonely in a crowded place, at work, on social media and when you’re spending time alone. You shouldn’t feel embarrassed if you feel lonely from time to time.

Admitting feelings of loneliness can be difficult but it’s key to remember that most people have experienced it too.

In this blog, we’re going to go through signs of loneliness, the reasons we may be feeling lonely and ways to manage feelings of loneliness.

What is loneliness?

Loneliness is personal – each person’s experience of it will vary and be subjective to the individual.

Here are some of the main ways loneliness can be experienced:

Emotional – this is a lack of emotional attachment to someone like a close friend or partner
Social – this is a lack of friends to see, or who share the same hobbies or interests
Existential – this is the feeling of being in a room full of people you know and still feeling alone

Signs of loneliness

Feelings of loneliness, such as isolation and not feeling connected to our loved ones but there are also physical symptoms to consider:

A person may get anxious or nervous when attending social events
A person may stop practising self-care – e.g. they may stop looking after themselves, stop cooking and stop caring about their appearance
A person may also find it hard to sleep or stay asleep

Loneliness isn’t a mental health problem, but having mental health problems such as anxiety or depression can increase feelings of loneliness.

Loneliness can also put people at greater risk of poorer mental health, including depression.

Causes of loneliness

According to the UK government’s Tackling Loneliness strategy review, loneliness is higher for the following people:

16-24 year olds
Females
People who are single or widowed
People who live with a limiting mental health condition
People who are renting
People who have lower neighbourhood belonging
People who have lower local social trust

Sometimes there isn’t an obvious cause for loneliness, or there may even be more than one.

Certain life events like breaking up with a partner, losing a loved one or the end of a friendship can cause loneliness.

Huge changes to our lives that take us away from home may also make us feel isolated or alone:

Leaving home to attend university
Maternity leave
Long-term physical health issues that require a hospital stay or unable to leave home
Becoming a carer for a loved one

The best ways to manage loneliness

The clue is in the name – loneliness can be lonely.

We’ve put together a list of some simple ways to combat feelings of loneliness:

Talk to your loved ones: remember to have regular conversations with family and friends. Talking to your loved ones, even briefly, can help you feel less alone.
Do all of the things that you love doing: spending your time doing things that you enjoy will help stop you from focusing solely on your feelings of loneliness. Go for a walk, read, listen to the radio, paint – just do something you love.
Attend local groups: joining a club or a group can help you connect with people who enjoy the same things. Try to find a local running club, fitness classes, fishing or anything that you enjoy.
Join social media groups: some fantastic groups exist in your local areas. You can join meetups, and conversations and comment on posts that excite you!
See what’s on in your local area: here is a list of events in your local area – a great deal is free or very low cost.
Become a volunteer: volunteering is a wonderful way to meet people, positively. You can see the benefits of your work and boost your wellbeing.