Rural Mental Health
12 Tips If You’re Feeling Isolated and Lonely
If you are feeling lonely, here are some steps that can help you build social connection:
Understand the power of social connection and the consequences of social disconnection by learning how the vital components (structure, function, and quality) can impact your relationships, health, and well-being.
Invest time in nurturing your relationships through consistent, frequent, and high-quality engagement with others. Take time each day to reach out to a friend or family member.
Minimize distraction during conversation to increase the quality of the time you spend with others. For instance, don’t check your phone during meals with friends, important conversations, and family time.
Seek out opportunities to serve and support others, either by helping your family, co-workers, friends, or strangers in your community or by participating in community service.
Be responsive, supportive, and practice gratitude. As we practice these behaviors, others are more likely to reciprocate, strengthening our social bonds, improving relationship satisfaction, and building social capital.
Actively engage with people of different backgrounds and experiences to expand your understanding of and relationships with others, given the benefits associated with diverse connections.
Participate in social and community groups such as fitness, religious, hobby, professional, and community service organizations to foster a sense of belonging, meaning, and purpose.
Reduce practices that lead to feelings of disconnection from others. These include harmful and excessive social media use, time spent in unhealthy relationships, and disproportionate time in front of screens instead of people.
Seek help during times of struggle with loneliness or isolation by reaching out to a family member, friend, counselor, health care provider, or the 988 crisis line.
Be open with your health care provider about significant social changes in your life, as this may help them understand potential health impacts and guide them to provide recommendations to mitigate health risks.
Make time for civic engagement. This could include being a positive and constructive participant in political discourse and gatherings (e.g., town halls, school board meetings, local government hearings).
Reflect the core values of connection in how you approach others in conversation and through the actions you take. Key questions to ask yourself when considering your interactions with others include: How might kindness change this situation? What would it look like to treat others with respect? How can I be of service? How can I reflect my concern for and commitment to others?
Access the Mental Health Resources by Topic webpage for additional free information and resources about managing isolation and loneliness.
If mental health challenges become overwhelming, it may be necessary to seek professional help. Reach out to a mental health professional who can provide appropriate support or intervention, or call or text 988.
If you or someone you know is suicidal or in emotional distress, call 988.
If this is a life-threatening emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital emergency room.
988 has been designated as the new three-digit dialing code for the national suicide and crisis lifeline. People can now call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org if they are in crisis or are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support, which can include having thoughts of suicide or experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis.
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