It’s a given that sometime in our lives that we’ll face loneliness. Yet, the question is can loneliness be a good thing. Loneliness does have its pros and cons along with its benefits and disadvantages. We need to be aware of our feelings and emotions and everything around us to what’s going on. We need to sometimes feel in our inner self. People will feel lonely for quite a number of reasons, which may be including simple social awkwardness and intentional isolation. Some people may even feel lonely when they are surrounded by people because they lack meaningful connections with those people. Everyone experiences loneliness sometimes, but it is never pleasant. Dealing with loneliness can take many forms, including meeting new people, learning to appreciate your alone time, and reconnecting with your family. Here are some methods while you’re reading this article/blog into how to overcome and deal with loneliness. METHOD 1: UNDERSTANDING YOUR FEELINGS OF LONELINESS Identify the reasons why you feel lonely.In order to make changes that will truly help you, you will need to take some time to figure out why you are feeling lonely. For example, say you assume that you are lonely because you don’t have enough friends and you go out and make more friends. You may still feel lonely after making new friends if your loneliness is the result of having too many friends and a lack of meaningful connections. Consider some of the following questions to help you determine why you are feeling lonely: When do you feel the most lonely? Do certain people make you feel more lonely when you are around them? How long have you been feeling this way? What does feeling lonely make you want to do? 2. Start a journal to track your thoughts and feelings.  Journaling can help you to understand your feelings of loneliness better and it is also a great way to relieve stress. Journaling can also when you write down your thoughts and feelings can be a good way to at least see how you’ve progressed in the everyday life situations that you face daily. To get started with journaling, choose a comfortable place and plan to devote about 20 minutes per day to writing. You can start by writing about how you are feeling or what you are thinking, or you can use a prompt. Some prompts you might use include: “I feel lonely when…” “I feel lonely because…” When did you first start feeling lonely? How long have you felt this way? 3. Practice meditation. Some research has suggested that meditation may ease feelings associated with loneliness and depression. Meditation has so many benefits to help us mentally and physically. Meditation is also a great way to get more in touch with your feelings of loneliness and start to understand where they come from. Meditation is a habitual process of training your mind to focus and redirect your thoughts.     You can use it to increase awareness of yourself and your surroundings. Many people think of it as a way to reduce stress and develop concentration. People also use the practice to develop other beneficial habits and feelings, such as a positive mood and outlook, self-discipline, healthy sleep patterns and even increased pain tolerance. Learning to meditate takes time, practice, and guidance, so your best bet is to find a meditation class in your area. If no classes are available in your area, you can also buy CDs that will help you learn how to meditate. You can also use some apps that are readily available from your phone or tablet. To get started with meditation, find a quiet spot and get comfortable. You can either sit in a chair or on a cushion on the floor with your legs crossed. Close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing. As you focus on your breathing, try not to get distracted by your thoughts. Just let them happen and pass by. Without opening your eyes, observe the world around you. Pay attention to how you feel as well. What do you hear? What do you smell? How do you feel? Physically? Emotionally? Benefits of Meditation (Science-based) There are so many benefits for meditation and I’ll only be sharing at least 12 of the benefits and they’re as follows: 1. Reduces Stress. 2. Controls anxiety. 3. Promotes emotional health. 4. Enhances self-awareness. 5. Lengthens attention span. 6. May reduce age-related memory loss. 7. Can generate kindness. 8. May help fight any addictions. 9. Improves sleep. 10. Helps control pain. 11. Can decrease blood pressure. 12. Meditation can be done anywhere. 4. Consider talking to a therapist about how you have been feeling.  It may be hard to figure out why you feel lonely and how to move past those feelings. A licensed mental health professional can help you to understand and work through your loneliness. Never be afraid to ask for help when you’re dealing with anything on your own. Some of the trained professionals can help you get back on track to full recovery. Meanwhile, feeling lonely may indicate that you are depressed or that you have another underlying mental health condition. Talking to a therapist can help you understand what is going on and decide on the best course of action. If you want to explore why you’re lonely, finding a qualified mental health professional is an excellent option. You can try joining a club, putting yourself out there to meet new people, and making a list of people in your life and reaching out to them, but if those don’t work and you feel like you’re stuck, a therapist can help you work through your thoughts and feelings. METHOD 2: COMFORTING YOURSELF Realize that you aren’t alone. Loneliness is a normal part of being human, but it can make you feel like you are abnormal. Remember sometimes feeling is just some feeling and emotion that we have felt once in a while. It’s okay to be alone for a time if need be.