Loneliness and isolation are two very different things. You can be isolated but never feel lonely and likewise you can be in a room full of people and still feel lonely.

Loneliness tends to be an individual feeling and is more about how someone feels about themselves when they are alone; are they craving more social interaction than they are receiving? What is the quality of those social interactions? Loneliness can be a craving for more in-depth relationships and intimacy, or it provides constant feelings of being alone, or separated from others; an inability to form meaningful connections which feed into feelings of inadequacy and poor self-esteem.

On the other hand, isolation tends to be a measure of contacts that people have. It is about the number of these things rather than the quality of them. Isolation can be solved fairly easily by increased fairly easily by increasing the quantity of contacts a person has.

So, if these topics are separate what are the links and why do they get confused? Isolation can lead to loneliness and vice versa. It is also possible to experience both at the same time, the states can be fluid; moving in and out of loneliness and isolation as personal circumstances vary.  Both loneliness and isolation are also linked to deteriorating health, sleep disorders, substance use as well as sensory and mobility impairments, although it is possible for any one of these to come in any order and affect the other issues.

Loneliness often occurs in short bouts and happens to most people at some point in their lives, however if these feelings become long-term chronic loneliness can occur and can affect even the most outgoing of people. It is easy to assume that loneliness and isolation affect only the shy people in our communities, however, anyone can suffer with these issues, even those that are the life and soul of the party.   

• If you find that you are struggling with feelings of loneliness and/or isolation that just don't go away, try talking to a doctor or other health professional in the first instance. These feelings are often linked to poor mental health so, talking about how you are feeling is an important first step in the right direction.

• Set up a bedtime routine to encourage good sleep hygiene measure. Getting enough good quality sleep can help our minds and bodies to work at their best, helping us to feel both healthier and happier.

• Try making a point to engage with other people. This can feel extremely daunting but volunteering at something that you are interested in or passionate about can help boost self-esteem and encourage social interaction and quality connections. Alternatively, support groups can be a great way to relieve symptoms of loneliness and/or isolation.

• Get some regular exercise. We all know that exercise helps to increase endorphins which help us to feel brighter, boosting mood, improving sleep, and making it easier for us to communicate with others.

Feelings of loneliness and despair can easily take over which is why it is important that we talk to someone as soon as we recognise that these feelings are not going away.

If you need a non-judgemental place to speak with someone, you can speak with the Samaritans for free 24 hours a day by calling 116 123.

PS. If you want some more guidance and to ponder the big questions in life, why not check out the Philosopher-in-Residence series. Our, every fortnight on a Thursday, and written by the lovely Anna Pascoe, our Principal planner here at Make Me A Plan. You can take a peek at the latest edition here: https://makemeaplan.com/news/on-birthdays/