6 Things You Can Do When You Are Feeling Lonely or Depressed

Available for Interviews: Dr. Alice Fong

Alice Fong, ND, is an integrative naturopathic doctor specializing in stress, integrative medicine, diet & weight loss, and is a business growth consultant for holistic healthcare providers.

What Dr. Alice Fong can say in an interview on
What You Can Do When Feeling Lonely or Depressed:

 1. Don’t Suppress It. Some people have the notion that since emotions are irrational by nature, they should suppress it. This is not necessarily the best way to deal with heavy emotions. Remember, humans are by nature emotional beings. It’s okay to be sad, to feel frustrated, to grieve, or be disappointed. It is perfectly normal. Avoiding or bottling up those feelings does not allow us to move on from them. Yes, some emotions can be uncomfortable, even painful, but just remember emotions come and go and don’t last forever.   

 2. Authentically Connect with People. People need social interactions to feel connected with others. More specifically, authentic and meaningful conversations tend to create a sense of happiness, even for introverts. A common tendency for people when they are feeling down, is to disengage from loved ones, because they don’t want to bring others down with them or they are afraid to be vulnerable, but in reality, being around positive people can help lift them up and feel more connected.  So consider talking to your friends or family about how you feel. 

 3. Volunteer or Be of Service to Others. Being of service to others not only benefits those people you serve, but it also helps you get out of your own head and so you don’t focus on your negative thoughts so much.  

 4. Find That Silver Lining. Focus on what you do have in life to be grateful for rather than focusing on what you don’t have. Unfortunate events and circumstances are a part of life sometimes, and we can’t always control them, but we can see it as a learning opportunity for growth or building resilience. 

 5. Accept What You Cannot Control. Don’t beat yourself up about it. Nothing good would ever come out of dwelling on things you can’t control.  You cannot control life, yet at the same time life cannot control you.  Meaning, you do get a say in how your life goes and plays out. For example let’s say there’s a job you really want. You can work really hard, and take all the actions you know are possible to get the position, but ultimately does it guarantee you’ll win out among all the other applicants? No, it does not, because that’s life. You cannot control the outcomes and results of life, but you can control the actions you take, and if you did everything you knew you could do, at least you can know that you did your best. And this leaves you feeling much better than throwing in the towel before even trying.

 6. Seek Professional Help. If you feel like loneliness and depression are a recurring theme in your life, it would be wise to consult a professional.  They are highly trained in exploring the deeper layers with you that cause it to be a frequent occurrence.