Dr. Laura Pulkki-Raback,  who conducted the research at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, explained, “Our study shows that people living alone have an increased risk of developing depression …”

I have lived alone while I was in college. It felt wonderful to have my own place and not have to share my personal space. I enjoyed having my own place, but I can see how living alone increases risk for depression.

It gives you the ability to hide your low days within the confides of your home. Our home is where most want to relax and not have to worry. If you work at home it makes it more difficult for you to get out and meet people.

Instead you use social media to interact which is not good for your mental health. We all need social interactions with others. It makes you feel apart of the world rather than by yourself and isolated within the confines of your home.

I too in college felt the loneliness that  comes with living alone, but with my depression the feeling interfered with my ability to get my work done. I found myself scrambling to finish and turn it in by the deadline.

According to a new study, people who live alone have a 80% higher risk of depression than those living in a social or family group.

This post is about why living alone can make you depressed and knowing this; what can you do to avoid falling into depression or even come out of your depressive state.

You don’t have to leave your home

 

When you live alone, you don’t have to leave your home to get your work done or worry about a roommate clouding your space. You lack encouragement to leave your home.

You have no one around you to see how you struggle to get out of bed in the morning or how you are late to an appointment. It makes you feel lonely that you have no one around to uplift and encourage you during the day.

You have the ability to close out the world within the confines of your home. Doing this leaves you feeling alienated from society. That lack of connection affects your mental health and ability to connect with others.

What to do about staying in the house?

• Get out more even if it’s to walk around the block or admire your surroundings.

All you need is in your home

 

Most try to make their home a comfortable place. Everything you need is within your home. You have no dire need to go outside.

You can use technology to communicate through Skype, Google+, or Pinterest. It’s excellent for meeting new people, but you still need to get out the house and interact with people.

Technology is a good resource for communicating, but it limits a vital part of a relationship: touch interaction. Touch interaction is one where the interacting individuals can actually shake hands, hug, or within intimidate distance to one another.

When not having this kind of interaction we miss out on the ability to form deep personal connections. It gives us the ability to shift from formal to casual relationships.

I made up the word touch interaction, because it makes a difference in your bonding whether or not you have actually physically surrounded yourself with the person you call your friend or family. Touch interaction gives you a reason to leave your home and actually make friends in the world and not solely through a computer.

What to do about building deep bonds?

• Start getting out your home more often with the mindset that you want to make deep personal connections with others for your well-being.
• Seek out places where you can interact with people who have your interests. To get out your rut you have to make an effort to not be alone and have others to communicate your feelings with.

You love being alone, but you’re lonely

 

I am an introvert. I like being in control how, when, and where I interact with others. Being an introvert just means one who is energized by being alone and whose energy is drained by being around other people.

Contrary to popular belief, an introvert can have good social skills, and wanting to be alone is not a sign of depression. Being alone turns into depression when you become lonely and feel like no one understands you.

Loneliness is an unpleasant feeling in which a person feels a strong sense of emptiness and solitude resulting from inadequate levels of social relationships.

The biggest concern with living alone is lack of building social relationships. You can avoid interacting with others and become lonely.

This affects your thought process. And how you feel about yourself.

How to get over the loneliness?

Doing these things helped me and it can help you.

• Choose to physically hang out with others.
• Don’t make excuses for why you can’t go out. Make it a priority to get out your home no matter how many people you Skype, chat, or email.
• Make dinner dates so you don’t live alone.

Is living alone making you depressed?

Choose to get out more often to socialize. You need to go outside and hang out with others to actually build necessary bonds for your mental health.

Avoid letting loneliness sink in and make opportunities for you to start socializing with others at events, parties, shows, carnivals, etc. wherever you are not in your home or using technology.