Anybody else having trouble with being alone?
Starting to get to me. I am fighting depression big time.
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I have absolutely no social life. I’m having a little pain in my gut it’s worrying me. Seeing the doctor on Wednesday. It’s really tough when there’s nobody to talk you off the ledge. I would like to give you suggestions or advice but I have none. Just remember to do what you need to do to stay alive and keep hope alive
Healing vibes on the way to you, my friend. 💓💓💓
Someone is always on here at DU, & we talk each other off the figurative ledge quite frequently. 
Definitely keeping me from going off the deep end here.
Ignore the news. Seriously. Play a game on your phone, read books, take up a hobby. Just ignore the news!
My reactions to borris & natasha illegally squatting in our wh has taken a serious toll on my health.
No teeee veee. Ok?
send me a DU mail. Or get in a fight with...
together with family & friends often. Join a senior center and participate in activities. Mingle with the people around you as much as possible. Stay connected via video phone, Facetime, Zoom, etc. It's a known fact that lack of social interaction is the #1 reason for physical & mental health decline, and things can spiral out of control and escalate quickly.
I empathize with you as i've seen it happen to my own mother in her latter years, and to some older ladies i know now. There are some people in my local Dems women clubs who live alone and are experiencing the same loneliness. If you know elderly people in such a case, reach out to them often and let them know to reach you when they feel down or need help. It can save & prolong their life, and make it happier, healthier, and more meaningful for both them and you. We are all in this existence we call life together. Let's make it more bearable and meaningful for each other. 
Many have games, luncheons, music programs, educational lectures, & arts & crafts / chat events!
Dunno about yours, but mine only charges $12/year for dues & nearly everything is free.
Also check with your local Council on Aging for social opportunitues.
I'vd found that many of the folks at my senior center are widows, seemingly friendly folks open to new friendships.
And you're not alone. Someone is always on here at DU.
Ps - mask up!
The 1st videos are avail immediately after a brief, nonintrusive registration. Why not give it a try?
thank you for posting Sheltie
It's really great stuff! very popular. People love it!
It's a lifestyle.
She had a newsletter, that’s sadly discontinued in 2023 but also has a podcast, “The Happiness Lab.” As far as happiness goes, it truly is the little things. And now I’m gong to brew and savor a really good cup of coffee.
It really is about the small things!
One great, free way to jump start a positive mind set is to start a gratitude journal.
List & number 3 things you'rd grateful for just before bed. List 3, then reread entire list & go go sleep.
It helps refocus our minds, especially in these chaotic times. I’ve done a gratitude journal, periodically… For now, I like doing a breathing exercise and short meditation before bed.
Enjoy!
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and laugh no matter how low I'm feeling. It seems like they always know when I need my mood lightened. 
and I really appreciate your kindness 
For about 10 years now. After a life time of collecting everything. Now am giving so others can use. Gets easier all the time.
I've always given things away, but we got more and more. My guideline now is to keep heirlooms, gifts, and things we loved. The rest is going, one way or another. When I'm sorting through boxes, I feel like Steve Martin in the jerk:
(this is all I need)so I try not to take too much stuff out of the boxes to keep
Your senior center likely has zoom groups / classes you can join!
Get a treadmill & a light box!
The Y pool 3 mornings a week, exercise class, then walking in water for another 40, 50 minutes. The equivalent of 2 miles on land!
They also have a workout area with some exercise machines. I enjoy the walk, it isn’t very crowded but some regulars to say hello to and I’ve noticed several of them like to chat with fellow attendees. The age group for walkers is mostly 60 plus crowd with a few younger folks occasionally. They also offer children’s programs, so some days it really picks you up to hear the children’s laughter and energy playing games which can be seen down on the first floor from the walking track on the second floor. If it gets more than a few people walking spaced out, I wear a mask.
Sending you a big hug!
Also, all 50 states offer some form of free classes for seniors. Spring semester is just starting! Find an interest & sign up fof a live zoom class!
Same as you are communicating here!
I do some research and entries for findagrave.com.
It started with discovering that there is an old, neglected African American cemetery in our tiny town. Not many of the graves have markers. I went on findagrave, and found that some of the names had been entered, but others werent. So I started doing entries, and it snowballs. I would enter the name of, say, a husband, then start looking for his wife. Search for death certificates in familysearch.com or ancestry.com, hopefully the certificate would list the cemetery.
I admit, it sounds like a morose hobby. But I really get hooked on the feeling that I am uniting families, and preventing people from being forgotten.
In warmer months, a friend and I work at cleaning up the cemetery. Sometimes we find markers -- those small, aluminum markers that come from the funeral homes, or even headstones that have fallen over and covered in leaf debris.
Sorry, leftylady, for getting carried away. You were asking about being lonely. I forgot all about that!
I'm sure it's appreciated by families of the loved ones. 💕 A few yrs back I discovered that someone had listed my mother on Find a Grave. It wasn't that my mother was forgotten or lost or anything like that. When my mother died there was no Find a Grave site as far as I know. At some point I knew it existed but just never thought to list her on it. I was really touched when I discovered that some anonymous person had taken the time to put her on it. 🥲 It was probably someone like you. So thank you for doing this for others.
Join a local choir if your voice is your sole instrument.
Making music with others not only dissolves all of the empty nest effects, but it is also amazingly healing for mental and emotional health and well being.
I started a couple of different music meet ups with neighbors who never fancied themselves as musically inclined. one is singing and the other group is instrumental. Some of the participants who started with one group have since joined with the other.
It's really been a very rewarding experience. It actually gets me high in a manner of speaking.
Give it a shot, your world will change!
As a lifelong introvert I cherish the moments of solitude I am able to provide for myself. I tend to get depressed when I don't get enough time for solitude.
Long ago I learned that I am never alone or lonely - there's always ME, MYSELF and I. And the three of us are always finding new and interesting things to delve into.
Thank YOU, Lady, for reaching out to all of us that have responded...proving that you aren't really alone, just maybe incommunicado for a little while.
