Addressing Loneliness

Tips To Tackle Loneliness

Loneliness in later life is a significant issue for many people. The Mental Health Foundation suggests a variety of simple and practical things we can all do to help ourselves and each other.

Try to keep busy

One way of trying to manage loneliness is by keeping busy and doing things we enjoy. This might be a hobby such as a bit of gardening, going to an exercise class or even jigsaws, word puzzles or knitting. Small activities can
give you energy and positive feelings. It’s important these things are fun or fulfilling.

The opportunity to make new friends and to join a thriving community is one of the most life-enhancing aspects of moving to an Adlington Retirement Living community. Sue, an Adlington homeowner, said: “We have a games night here. There’s something called Rummykub, which I’ve never come across before. It’s a tile game. It’s great. We also have quiz nights, poetry nights and a book club. I take part in most of these. We do a keep fit class on a Wednesday and we play boules. We’ve had an Italian evening and parties for New Year’s Eve and Christmas. When I tell people, they think I’m having a wild social life. I have a busier social life now than I’ve ever had before.”

Stimulate your mind

Activities that occupy your mind can help with loneliness. This can include the benefits of taking courses or listening to podcasts on topics from comedy to fitness.

Adlington homeowner Jane said: “Living here helps me to stay mentally fit and as physically fit as I can. I’m still mentally agile and this place helps me to stay that way. I love pottery and painting. I try to encourage other people to paint. Most are frightened of doing it and really, if you just get a piece of paper and put some paint on it, you’d be surprised by what you can achieve.

“I’ve helped some of the other homeowners here to paint pottery. We bought white pots and then painted them with this paint that goes on like nail varnish. Then you just put it in the oven for half an hour and after that it can even go in the dishwasher.”

Get moving

Physical exercise can help with loneliness. It can be as simple as having a walk in the park if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed. Alternatively, listen to music and dance around your living room. Ann, another Adlington
homeowner, enjoys dancing and goes to a weekly movement with music class in the activity studio: “It’s good having it in the same building because in winter, the bad weather can put you off going out. But if it’s here, you’ve only got to pop downstairs.”

Try to engage with the people you meet

It can be hard to talk to others when you’re feeling lonely. However, trying to connect with the people you meet as you go about your day can be helpful. Even catching someone’s eye and saying “hi” as you walk along can
make you feel better.

Retirement living communities can help break people out of the cycle of loneliness, by giving them the opportunity to spend time with warm and welcoming neighbours, join groups and clubs, and to live in a safe and supportive environment. Adlington homeowner Lesley said: “I’ve made good friends with the other homeowners here. We talk all the time. Last night we chatted until 9pm, then met for coffee at 11am and picked up where we left off. We laugh a lot.

“I’ve always been active, but usually on my own. Now I have a much better social life. Even if you’re just putting the rubbish out, you’ll exchange a few words with somebody. The staff are always really pleasant and chatty. It sounds funny, but just a few words with somebody can really lift your mood.”

Spend time with pets

If you are lucky enough to own a pet, it can be a great way of managing loneliness. Not only do animals provide us with unconditional love and support, but they also help to give structure to our days and even encourage us to get out and connect with others.

Homeowner Pam said: “There are three or four really nice parks near here and there’s a little dog-friendly café where you can get coffee and biscuits. I often bump into people with dogs and have a conversation with them.”

Find people who understand

It can be hard to connect with others when you’re feeling lonely. But there are great benefits in finding people who have been through similar experiences to you.

Dr Cath, an Adlington homeowner, said: “You do get to a point when your life changes completely, and you feel as though you’re no longer of much use to anybody when you reach a certain age. It’s very hard to accept that you can’t do the things that you used to do. It can be quite demoralising, so being amongst people who are of a similar situation in life helps a lot and makes you feel better.”

Read more about how having a support network around you can be a real benefit when moving to an Adlington retirement community in this article.

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