A difficult time of year for many people, the holidays are often wrought with anxiety, exhaustion, stress, and depression. Last night, after our Christmas Eve dinner, my father-in-law asked me about my experience of working with clients during the holiday season. A Pastor in a Presbyterian Church for over 25 years, with significant experience providing counseling and consultation, he shared that he’d suspected that the greatest contributor to our modern day dis-ease was loneliness. Indeed. Loneliness is a powerful feeling that can manifest in a variety of psychological ailments and can be experienced as somatic/physiological symptoms and illness.
Synchronously, this morning I found this Huffington Post article on Loneliness by Deepak Chopra. In it, he highlights 3 steps to help combat loneliness. I have found these lessons to work well for me in my own life (even if they are occasionally forgotten) and I hope you find them useful as well. Here they are, briefly:
Step 1: Have A Vision That You Devote Time To Every Day
Step 2: Put Yourself In A Context For Fulfillment
Step 3: View Your Life As A Process, A Never-Ending Journey
For more, read the full Deepak Chopra article.
Are you fulfilled? What keeps you from feeling lonely? Please share your comments and feedback below.