If you struggle with loneliness and are trying to quit tobacco, developing some strategies for coping will be very important. Loneliness can take many forms, and there are several ways to manage it. I will outline some options, but you likely know best what will work for you.
Loneliness is a common emotion. We can feel physically lonely when we are alone, but we can also feel emotional loneliness, even when we are with others.
Loneliness has more to do with how connected we feel to others than with how many people are physically close to us.
We could be in a busy train station or shopping center with many people near us or passing by and still feel lonely. By contrast, we could also be hiking in the woods at a state or national park entirely on our own and feel comforted by the thoughts of those with whom we feel connected.
During acute bouts of loneliness, it can be helpful to be in the physical presence of others, but that isn’t the only way to manage this feeling.
While we know that getting social support will be important when you are quitting tobacco, if you already find yourself struggling with feeling lonely, getting that support may seem like a difficult task.
Breaking out of loneliness takes effort, and to successfully achieve this, we will likely need to make ourselves vulnerable. It would be great if we could wish for things to be different, and it would happen, but it nearly always requires us to act and put ourselves out there into that uncomfortable space.
Here are some strategies:
- Finding support in your existing life. It is easy to fall into habits of doing the same things the same way over and over. When we do this, we sometimes miss opportunities. Consider contacting old friends or colleagues or simply striking up conversations with your neighbors.
- Making new connections. Another way to combat loneliness is to make new connections, and part of doing that is being vulnerable and just putting ourselves out there. Consider activities you are interested in, groups you have admired, or hobbies you have wanted to get involved with. There may be informal neighborhood or community groups, as well as more established organizations, which could provide some social opportunities for you.
- Self-care. It is easy to not take care of ourselves in meaningful ways when we don’t feel our best. However, doing things we know are good for us can help us to act and feel better. Quitting tobacco is a start on the road to feeling your best. Other things to consider are your sleep schedule, the foods you eat, and your physical activity, to name a few. Managing these areas of your life in ways that make you feel good may help you feel more up to taking action to connect with others.
- Consider looking at online support. It can be helpful to reach out to people who are going through or have gone through quitting tobacco (such as becomeanex.org). Again, remember that just taking that first step to make those connections is important here.
- Consider getting a pet. Pets can be a great way to feel connected and give you that sense of purpose that can ease loneliness.
How do you foster connections with others to manage loneliness and to get support in your quitting efforts?
