Sometimes, even though you might like being by yourself, there are days when it’s nice to be around other people, especially if you spend the majority of time on your own.

There’s a difference between being alone and feeling lonely, but if you’re starting to feel sad or depressed because you don’t have enough contact with other people, it may be time to do something about it.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has made socialising slightly more difficult, but there are still plenty of different ways to interact with others, and maybe even make new friends.

Strengthen current relationships

If there are people in your life who you’d like to talk too more often, or have lost contact with, then you could try reaching out to them and re-establishing a bond.

A lot of the time, even though people lead busy lives, they could be wondering how you are but just not getting around to making contact, so if you make the first move they’ll probably be glad to hear from you.

Don’t worry about what response you might get, what happened in the past, or whether they have time to talk, as these negative thoughts will just stop you from going through with picking up the phone, typing an email, writing a letter, or sending a text.

You have nothing to lose from contacting old friends or long-lost family and letting them see they’re important to you and you want them in your life.

Join a group

Write a list of hobbies or interests that you enjoy and then find a local group to match.

Finding people who have the same interests as you is always a great way to broaden your social circle and you’ll be starting from a point of commonality.

There’s usually a club for everything; whether it’s running, swimming, knitting, crocheting, books, movies, tennis, travelling, music or art.

You can also try using apps which make it easier for you to find people, such as meetup.com, which encourages people to connect with others living or working close to them with shared interests.

Volunteer

Offering your time or skills to help other people will get you out of the house and bring new people into your social circle.

Thinking about the needs of others who are less fortunate than you, may also stop your mind from dwelling on your feelings of loneliness.

Feed the homeless, read to sick children at a local hospital, or lend a hand at a local animal shelter – there’s no end to the ways you can help and there are lots of charities who’ll be glad for your assistance.

Go online

There are several online communities which offer a form of companionship through social media and you won’t even have to leave the house.

Find a group who share your interests whether that’s a TV show, a football team or a cat-lovers group, sign up to their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts and make connections through commenting on other people’s posts and initiating conversations with your own messages.

You might actually find it easier to make friends this way due to the anonymity of chat forums, but be careful not to substitute virtual relationships for new ones. Also, try to make sure this activity doesn’t take up too much of your time or have a negative impact on your self-esteem.

Some people who make connections through an online website actually go on to meet the people they chat to through group organised events and develop lasting friendships.

Sources: Mind.org.uk / The Huffington Post