3 Tips for Dealing with loneliness in Your 20's

Happy Thursday, guys! So I wanted this post to be a little bit different, since I've been taking a bit of a hiatus from blogging this summer. I wanted to talk about something I've struggled with for the past couple years: loneliness. Over the time that I've struggled with it, I feel like I've also learned about ways to deal with it, and I wanted to share them with you. I think, for a lot of people, loneliness is a bigger issue in your 20's than any other time of your life. So here are a few of my tips to consider when your feeling extra lonely.

1. Understand that your not the only person that feels this way. Social media is a tricky thing, especially when it comes to stuff like fomo. On Instagram, I constantly see people together, with their friends, having a great time. I don't have as many "best friends" as I once did, so this is something I struggle with a lot. But I've heard so many other people say the same things that I feel: they're lonely, and they feel like they're the only ones that feel this way. So I try to remember that the images I see on social media are not always what they appear. Just because a person posts images with others a lot of people doesn't mean they're not lonely at times (or all the time)

2. If you feel lonely, then DO SOMETHING about it! Join a club or a group. Maybe a church small group or a book club. If you're living in Chattanooga and you fit the criteria, I love the Young Entrepreneurs of Chattanooga (@yechatt) or the Chattanooga Bloggers (@chattanoogabloggers) pages! They host a bunch of meet-ups for people that are in the same boat as I am, and it's awesome meeting everyone.

3. This last one might not be possible for everyone, but it's the one that I most strongly recommend. If you live alone, get a pet. When I found out I was going to be living alone (just a couple weeks before I was set to move in) my junior year of college, I was shattered. I can't explain to you how anxious I was about being alone in an apartment. Sure I had a great bf who would be there for me whenever I needed him, but I wanted a group of close girlfriends just like he had his group of guys. My pup, Liam, really helped with the transition. I adopted him at the same time that I found out, and I don't know what I would have done without him. Being able to fall asleep in bed (or on the couch while watching Friends) with him and cuddling with him in the mornings really made everything so much better for me! If you can, I would definitely recommend rescuing a pup or a cat or even a goldfish if you don't want to much commitment!

Much Love,
​Vikka