WFH Week 10 – Coping With Loneliness

Did you know this post was part of a series? Check out all of my WFH recaps here!

As a professional introvert, I love and value my alone time. I crave it like a cup of iced lemonade on a hot day. I NEED my alone time, okay? I just want to be clear about how much I like being with just me, myself and I. Now, with all that being said, a new hell has moved into my already cramped home. Indeed, loneliness has started to creep its way into my humble apartment, slithering underneath my door and squeezing its useless belongings through any nook and cranny it can find. In other words, I’ve been lonely as fuck lately. Seriously, what am I paying all of this rent for if the place isn’t airtight against crippling loneliness and despair?? Fine, I’m being dramatic. But loneliness can cause serious harm to one’s mental health. And unfortunately, professional introverts are not immune to this. Because believe it or not, having only a fish and a dog to keep me company day in and day out can make for pretty stale conversations. So here’s what I’ve been doing to help loneliness pack its bags:

Socially distant running

Honestly, the only good thing to come out of this loneliness hell is that I’m jogging again. Primarily because I’ve been jogging with my friend (6 feet apart of course). The fact that I miss face-to-face interaction so much that I’d willingly put myself through the fiery burn of running? That’s saying something. We try to run 3x per week early in the morning. It sets a whole new tone for the rest of the day. Mainly, I feel like I can just lay on my ass for the remainder of my waking hours without any guilt.

Working on passion projects

Another thing that has helped me keep my sanity is working on things I’m passionate about with fellow passionate people. For example, the Surviving & Thriving Podcast I do monthly with my friend and co-worker Codie, gives both of us a sense of purpose and an excuse to video chat (and talk about anything but the podcast, to be honest). Episode 5, which comes out June 1, was an especially fun one to record because we had one of our former co-workers join us and it was so good to see her!

Harry Potter

Okay, bare with me for a second! It may surprise you to know that I’m not just obsessed with The Office but Harry Potter as well (I mean, remember this post here with nothing but Harry Potter Gifs?!). I even have a Harry Potter tattoo, much to the dismay of my parents especially since that’s the smallest of my tattoos. But I digress. Harry Potter, like any fandom, has the power to bring people together and as a community we lift each other up and support one another. Harry Potter has done that for me like no other. So, recently, I’ve started listening to Swish & Flick Podcast run by 4 wonderful people and fellow HP fans. The podcast is a re-read of the series and each episode is dedicated to one chapter of the books. While I don’t know them personally, I connect with them through our mutual love for the Boy Who Lived and it’s done wonders for getting my mind off things.

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What are some coping strategies you have employed to help you through tough emotions such as loneliness? Leave them in the comments below!