It’s not unusual for people to feel lonely in a world filled with billions of people. From breakups to not fitting in, we all struggle with loneliness at some point in our lives. People long for finding like-minded people to feel a sense of connection and community. But sometimes in the quest to find people like us, we push cool or interesting people away. Finding your tribe is built-in to our DNA. It’s how we’ve survived after countless generations. But some of us unique folks find it harder to find people who will love and accept us for all our quirks, making us feel lonely even when surrounded by people.
What is meditation for loneliness?
A meditation for loneliness is about getting us into the present moment and outside of our heads. People who feel lonely are often obsessing over exes, worrying about how they’re acting, and overthinking and ruminating on their loneliness. A guided meditation for loneliness is meant to help you stop thinking about your loneliness so that you have a clear mind that’ll allow you to connect to others. It’s about letting go of the judgment you carry towards yourself and removing those thoughts that leave you feeling self-conscious or insecure. Our thoughts become our actions. If left unchecked, we may unintentionally push away people who could make us feel included and loved. Those who practice meditation for loneliness will be able to better manage their thoughts which will improve their actions which could lead them to the path of overcoming loneliness.
Guided meditations for loneliness
Being lonely now and then can feel uncomfortable and challenging. Everyone wants to feel valued, remembered, or loved by the people around us. We all want to be someone people call, text, or hang out with. Below you can try a 15-minute guided meditation for loneliness.
Find more practices like this one in our free guided meditation app Declutter The Mind.
How meditation reduces loneliness
Those who meditate often can reduce loneliness. Often, when we feel lonely we feel a lot of stress and anxiety. This could lead to social anxiety, making us feel uncomfortable when we’re around people. Sometimes, people who are empathic can feel the energy of the people around them. If you feel like you don’t want to be somewhere, people will feel that energy which can push the people you want closer to you, further away. When you practice meditation, you can better manage your thoughts that leave you feeling stressed about social situations, which will improve how you act when you’re around others.
Another way meditation reduces loneliness is by helping people mindfully live in the present. When we feel lonely, we spend way too much time in our heads. But when we step away from our thoughts and notice how many things there are to do on this giant rock and how many billions of people live out in the world, we realize that the solution to our loneliness can be found. You just gotta get outside of your head, and then leave your house.
A meditation for loneliness can also reduce the lack of compassion we feel for ourselves and thus curb our feelings of loneliness. When we’re unkind to ourselves, we often project a lack of kindness onto others as well. Slowly, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. When we know how loveable, friendly, and interesting we are, naturally people will gravitate towards us thinking those same things. How we perceive ourselves will also be how others perceive us. When we radiate confidence and self-love, we will attract loving people into our lives.
How to meditate for loneliness
There are two options when it comes to meditation for loneliness. Option number one is that you join others in a group meditation class, where you meditate alongside people who are trying to clear out the clutter in their minds. This can give you a way to meet new people who believe in living mindfully and enjoy the interaction of being around others.
Option number two is you practice meditation for loneliness at home on your own. This could be a way to calm your nerves before going out on a date, joining a group of friends at a party, or starting your first day at a new company.
Now, when you’ve decided on your option, you’ll sit in a relaxed and comfortable position. You could choose to sit in an ergonomic chair or cross-legged on a mat on the floor. Since you’ll be in the position for anywhere from 5 to 60 minutes, you’ll want to be wearing loose clothing to avoid and minimize distractions and discomfort.
Then, you’ll play a meditation for loneliness from your Declutter The Mind app. Over the duration of the meditation, you’ll need to watch your thoughts float in and out of your mind, without ruminating on them. Don’t get sucked into the negativity of an anxious thought.
When you need an anchor to focus your attention on, focus on your breathing. You’ll want to do gentle deep breaths to help regulate your breathing. Shallow breathing will only make you feel more anxious. Yet, you don’t want to breathe so deeply that it feels uncomfortable.
After your meditation for loneliness has ended, do a check. Do you feel a bit better or do you need some more time? If you need some more time, you can try another meditation for loneliness or find a meditation for how you’re feeling, such as anxiety or depression.
The loneliness problem
Some say that there’s currently a loneliness epidemic happening around the world. Maybe we’re too glued to our phones, while working remote jobs, and hiding inside our houses instead of going to parties and interacting with others.
Or maybe something deeper is happening.
With the ability to connect with people in an instant, most people don’t see or spend time with the people they care about. All it takes is a quick text to invite a friend over. All it takes is a direct message to ask a friend to join you at an event.
Some Americans don’t interact with anyone one day a week.
Why has there been a cultural shift isolating people from each other at home. Could it be a cost of living that’s too high for socialization? Could people have moved too far from their community and haven’t yet met people nearby? There are still solutions for these things, such as going for a walk with a friend or introducing yourself to neighbors.
A lack of connection is missing from our relationships with others. Fortunately, a meditation for loneliness practice could help you improve your mindset to allow and make room for more connections in our lives.
The benefits of loneliness meditation
1. Connects us to our feelings
Sometimes, loneliness is temporary. Life happens, things change, and unexpected events throw us off balance. Feeling our sadness and fear while doing a loneliness meditation will allow us to connect to those emotions and provide empathy for them. You won’t feel those feelings forever. But if you’re feeling lonely right now, you can connect with those feelings to acknowledge them. You can also watch your thoughts float away instead of ruminating on how lonely you feel.
2. Makes us more mindful of our behavior
When you do a loneliness meditation, you’ll be more likely to become mindful over time. Meditation helps you from time traveling between the past and future, getting you to live in the here and now present. When you meditate on loneliness, you’ll start to see all the ways you’ve unintentionally pushed people away or at least not pulled them in closer. You’ll understand what you need to do next to bring more good and kind people back into your life. The way you interact with people will improve, allowing you to cure your loneliness.
3. Can lead to epiphanies
Those who practice a loneliness meditation are more likely to have a calm mind. The more you meditate the clearer your mind will become. This can lead to epiphanies and solutions to your loneliness. Just as going for a walk outside can lead to an aha moment, so can doing a meditation for loneliness when we’re feeling lonely. It might be as simple as thinking to yourself, “You know what, I’m going to call up a friend right now” as soon as you’ve finished your practice.
Other ways to reduce loneliness
1. Try a social media detox
Often, when we feel lonely, we spend more time on social media comparing ourselves to others. The grass always looks greener on the other side on TikTok and Instagram. You see couples posting videos together, people achieving their fitness goals, and former schoolmates with tons of followers. And you think to yourself, “Them?! It should be me. I’m better than that person.” But you can and will have everything you want. And just because you feel lonely now doesn’t mean that you’ll be lonely forever. Taking a social media detox can help you recharge yourself, meet new people out in the wild, and get your life on track without distractions or comparison.
2. Get a pet
Depending on how old you are, you might find yourself feeling lonely but not wanting to start a new relationship. Maybe you’ve become a widow and just wish you’d see your kids more. In these cases, getting a pet can be a compromise. A pet will help you get outside and go for walks to chat with people who pass you by. And they’ll bombard you with unconditional love, constantly asking for cuddles, affection, and care. Pets can also help boost your mood just by hanging around you.
3. Volunteer at an organization
Aside from a guided meditation for loneliness, you can help combat loneliness by volunteering in your local community. Maybe you sign-up as a softball coach, fundraise for a charity, donate your time at a food bank, or go shopping for a toy drive. There’s so many great ways to get involved in your community to help people less fortunate than yourself. You’ll get a chance to meet people, build out your social skills, and feel fulfilled knowing that you’re still doing good deeds when you feel kinda bad.
4. Connect with friends and family
When you feel lonely, it’s crucial to hang out with our inner circle. You could host a get together with friends or family to get a chance to socialize and be around other people. It’ll help you see the people you care about, feel good being with others, and help you get a break from loneliness. You can host weekly Sunday night dinners if you’re a lonely parent. Or a quarterly hang out with friends at your house to hang out and talk. You might ask your friends to join you on weekly mindful walks outdoors to get some fresh air together.
5. Join a hobby club
There are so many hobbies out there that have groups of like minded individuals. You might join an entrepreneurial group where you share business ideas and tactics with other business owners. Or you could join a writer’s club where you each give each other feedback on the work you’ve written (libraries usually host these kinda clubs). A chess club could allow you to meet and interact with people while playing a game. There are also cultural clubs for people of the same nationality or culture to hear your community’s music, dance, eat your favorite ethnic foods, and more.
6. Get a gym membership
Alongside a meditation for loneliness, a gym membership could be a good natural fit. You’ll increase your heart rate during a fitness class or a weight training session, then meditate for a bit to slow your heart rate back down. You can meet so many people in fitness classes. People will naturally chat before class for a bit. The more people see you, the easier it’ll be for conversations to get started. People tend to like familiarity. So, the more you go to the gym the more they’ll like you with time. Alternatively, some gyms like martial arts gyms have a lot of community building built-into their classes, which can be great for meeting new people.
7. Work on-site
While most people favor remote work, working on-site can have benefits to help you manage loneliness. Your work relationships will allow you to better communicate with colleagues as you’ll see their body language, hear their tone, and see them often enough to understand their personalities. Remote work can be lonely, especially as a single person. If commuting to work seems like too much of a hassle, you could always try a hybrid model or an occasional visit to the office for a chance to connect with people.
8. Go to a networking event
A networking event is a great way to meet people in your industry. Some industries have association events, such as human resources, public relations, and more where you can also meet people who are well-connected to their community. While networking events can lead to cool or interesting opportunities, the best way to meet people is to give more than you take. When you support others, help them on their journey, make introductions for them, and so on, you’ll be remembered more positively.
9. Uplift others
Sometimes, loneliness is caused by our behavior. If we constantly complain, criticize others, and make the people around us feel worse, we’re going to have limited social interactions. People will want to spend less time with us. Instead, if you constantly tell funny stories, lift people up, and cheer people on, they’ll feel more compelled to call you up, visit, and make time for you. Being positive attracts more people to you than being negative does. The solution is within yourself.
10. Get outdoors
Often, when people feel lonely, it’s because they’ve spent too much time indoors and alone. Life is happening beyond the walls of your house. No one can find you if you’re constantly hiding at home. Go for walks around the block. Do some gardening in the front yard and chat with neighbors. Head to your local coffee shop and drink your cup of joe at the shop with folks all around you. Serendipity can happen with ease when you put yourself out there.
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