Hello @ellamster @mikaylar and others, I understand your feelings of loneliness and just wanted to chime in with something that helps me since I lost my wife to brain cancer.
I keep a "To Do List" on my counter/desk at all times. The vast majority of the items on this list are small and to most might seem insignificant, but when I suddenly found myself all alone after almost 15 years of caregiving, I needed something to help me fight my feelings of loneliness and decided what I needed was something to look forward to each day -- especially "tomorrow" so I started my list. It has things like write a card to X, call Y, clean third draw in my dresser, email a friend I'd lost touch with, find a new book to read sometime, etc.
I also told myself I wouldn't ever mark off an item without adding one to the bottom of the list.
Slowly I found I was challenging myself more with my "to do's" by including things that stretched me more like finding a long-lost friend via the internet, learning to make one of my grandmother's old Czech recipes, and others.
Perhaps not for everyone, but it was something I found that really fought my loneliness and I still continue.
Strength, Courage, & Peace
Thank you very much.
It's good that this helps you! What a clever plan.
And how sad to have lost your wife. I so understand the having to do something 'tomorrow'. It adds some energy, right?
As a child I told myself to find something to look forward to every night or else I would die because I was so depressed and bullied. It turned me into The Great Anticipator!
The Czech recipe: I am very curious.
It's not as if I am actively feeling lonely all the time; I keep busy with work, checking client work and so on, taking care of my little household (cats and I). This helps me not think about it. It's the times when it sinks in that again: no one called, for instance. Although I must say I am now completely used to it. It's not something I now still actively feel bad about, it's more the fact of it all that makes me sad. Maybe from all this realising how lonely I am will sprout a new person who thinks 'loneliness is just in my head'. I am rather awkward with others though, not used to a lot of socialising. I tend to really be myself. If someone asks me something I answer with the truth, or simply don't answer. If I ask "Hey, how are you doing?" I really do expect people to elaborate if I am on a friendly basis with them 😊😊😊