Midlife Woes: How To Deal With Feeling Lonely?

Blogs01 Oct 2024

There’s no singular way of describing loneliness, but it is the isolating feeling that may give rise to an unpleasant emotional state. Loneliness can be tied to having a lack of dissatisfied social relations. Feeling lonely is a subjective experience and many feel it in different ways or forms. In many first world countries, loneliness is a major public health concern. In countries like India, it is often not discussed enough. So in this article, let’s have a look at loneliness in the midlife, from the Indian context.

Understanding Loneliness In Midlife

Loneliness is an isolating feeling that can crop up from social isolation, a smaller network or community, and a lower frequency of contact between oneself and friends and family. We see this example often in real life. Sometimes when we are going through something, or simply busy with life, we reduce our contact with our social circle and eventually, this limited-to-no contact and participation in social interactions can lead to you feeling alone.

Studies have found that loneliness can have detrimental effects on the physical and mental health of people from all ages. Research has found that loneliness becomes more common as we age and it can make a major impact on older adults.

A study done in 2017 found that 20.5% of adults aged 45 years and over in India reported moderate loneliness, meanwhile 13.3% were facing severe loneliness. This means that loneliness is a relevant issue among some middle-aged adult Indians, but not alarming. However, with India having a young population presently, there will soon come a time when our population will be largely ageing, older adults. That’s why it’s important to understand why loneliness occurs in middle-aged adults and how to cope with it.

Some main causes of loneliness in middle-aged adults include

• Being single, widowed or divorced
• Shrinking social circles
• Poor life quality
• Losing a friend, spouse or parent
• Children moving out
• Changes in cultural norms
• Changes in financial circumstances with respect to work, family and healthcare

The Impact of Loneliness on Health

Loneliness may be tied to the onset of cognitive decline, dementia and an increased risk of developing depression. It can also be one of the many causes of poor physical functioning.

Loneliness has been associated with

• Lower satisfaction from life
• Lower well-being
• Distress
• Insomnia
• Sleep problems
• Lower Body mass index (BMI)
• Obesity
• Heart conditions
• Diabetes
• Lung problems

Loneliness is also associated with bad lifestyle habits, poor nutrition and physical inactivity.

Strategies to Combat Loneliness

While loneliness can plague individuals in midlife, there are ways to combat loneliness by making consistent positive efforts. Here are a few ways to combat this issue:

a. Building Social Connections

You might already have an existing social circle that you may have de-prioritised or simply not connected with in a long time. Tap into those connections and reach out to your friends and acquaintances. Reviving old friendships may take some emotional effort, but it could be worth it too! Additionally, try to attend social events that you get invited to. These could be a great way of meeting more like-minded individuals who you can relate to and bond with.

b. Engaging in Activities and Hobbies

During the midlife, many adults are seniors at their workplace and their kids are leaving homes to be adults themselves. During this time, one could feel lonely due to the reduced capacity in which they will play the role of a parent. But, you can take this time to rekindle your long-lost passions and pick up new hobbies and activities that you wanted to do but never had the time. Channelling your creativity can help you feel inspired and invigorated and could reduce feelings of loneliness

c. Seeking Professional Help

If you feel like you have tried to get better and feel less lonely, but nothing seems to work, then it could be time to seek professional help. Speaking to a professional therapist can help you unpack why you might be feeling these heavy emotions and how you can navigate them through consistent and gradual effort.

d. Indulging in self care

As a parent or a middle aged adult, you may have spent many years working hard and achieving your goals, and often times, very little time celebrating them and caring for yourself. In times when loneliness hits you, make sure to give yourself grace and be patient with yourself. Try indulging in self-care activities that are calming to dispel some emotions and feelings. We recommend trying to journal, going for massages, and meditating.

e. Travel & Explore the Unknown

Traveling to unknown locations, if you can, will open up the world for you and change your perspective. It can lead you to new adventures and give you a much-needed break from your life and troubles. Travel exposes one to new cultures, languages, food and more which can help you become more open to new things and experiences. Travelling in groups can also help you beat loneliness and find comfort in friends or strangers!

Conclusion

Loneliness is an isolating experience that occurs with adults that face disability, separation, divorce, loss of a spouse or a loved one and reduced contact with their social circles. While loneliness is a significant issue in the midlife, those with high emotional stability and extroversion may not experience intense feelings of loneliness. That’s why some ways to combat loneliness is to build more social connections, trying new hobbies or activities, getting professional help, prioritising self-care and travel! Push yourself out of your current comfort zone to rebuild and grow connections to fight loneliness and lead a healthy and happy midlife.

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