Mental health.

[Lucyr]

Sometimes being on your own is GREAT. It can be nice to share moments with people, but there’s a real bit of learning happening for many people about how amazing spending time by yourself can be. No one else’s needs or wants to worry about. Stay as long, or as short at any thing as you want. Go down weird exploratory rabbit holes of your own making that no one else would be interested in. Have random encounters with strangers. Notice details. Spend time in the moment - fully alive and unworried about whether anyone else is bored or wants to be somewhere else.

I never took a holiday by myself until a couple of years ago, in my head I’d stereotyped it as a bit of a sad lonely thing to do - what’s the point of a holiday on your own? Same with days out, I didn’t go places I fancied going to unless I had someone else to go with.

Honestly though, doing things by yourself can be great. I love that I get to pick exactly how I want to spend the day, without accounting for anyone else’s feelings and interests. When I’m having a lonely day at the weekend I just go catch a bus and go on an adventure locally now, or take a book out for a coffee.

 

[AlicePalace]

Hi @AlicePalace Is there anything in particular that’s made you feel lonely? When I was a similar age to you, I used to sometimes feel a bit down at the weekends, especially Sundays. I felt they were quite pressured in a way, and Sunday itself seemed too quiet for me.

Is there anything nice you can do? Any craft? A boxset of a new series you can watch? I don’t know if this is any comfort, but as I got older, I found I became more at ease in my own company. I’m not sure why, but I did. I’d do things like read or write, or watch a film or TV show. Sometimes I’d get fascinated by a topic or place or person and research that. Being busy helps.

I feel like I don't have many friends my age I have one good friend but she lives in Wales so I don't see her much. I am 19 I will be 20 in October.

Hi @AlicePalace Is there anything in particular that’s made you feel lonely? When I was a similar age to you, I used to sometimes feel a bit down at the weekends, especially Sundays. I felt they were quite pressured in a way, and Sunday itself seemed too quiet for me.

Is there anything nice you can do? Any craft? A boxset of a new series you can watch? I don’t know if this is any comfort, but as I got older, I found I became more at ease in my own company. I’m not sure why, but I did. I’d do things like read or write, or watch a film or TV show. Sometimes I’d get fascinated by a topic or place or person and research that. Being busy helps.