The Mental Health Digest - Lonely? Try the 2-Root Approach Today

Lonely? Try the 2-Root Approach Today

By Jordan Brown - Mental Health Newsletter Writer, Poet, Social Worker, and Advocate • Issue #361 • View online

There’s the kind of loneliness that comes and goes.

And then there’s feeling lonely, an almost existential kind of crisis.

It’s the kind of loneliness that seeps into your mind and corrodes your heart.

The best way to overcome that kind of loneliness is to get to the root of the problem.

Most articles will give you a list of basic strategies to try like going for a walk or joining a book club.

Not here.

It’s time to get down to the roots of the issue.

The 2-Root Approach to Ending Loneliness

Connection - Understanding How You Make Connections

The first root behind feeling lonely is connection.

There are many types of connections, and not all people connect in the same way.

Most people think that you’re lonely when you’re not around other people, and that’s not necessarily true.

Some people don’t have many quality relationships.

And that’s completely OK.

What’s key is that you figure out what’s meaningful to you.

Some people need lots of social connections to feel secure.

I, on the other hand, am more of an introvert and prefer meaningful connection and emotional connection over lots and lots of social connections.

Before you can even address loneliness, you must pull back the curtain, so to speak.

You must unearth the root structure to expose the source of the problem.

Ask yourself questions to figure out how you connect:

When do I feel happiest?

What do I enjoy doing the most?

What do I find valuable in my closest relationships?

Do I need to have many personal connections or only a few?

Do I even need personal connection, or am I content to connect with nature and animals?

There are no right or wrong answers here.

What’s important is that you uncover what matters most to you.

That’s the only way you’ll start down the path to ending your loneliness.

Mental Health - The Second Root of Loneliness in Life

I’m listing this one second, but it may be more vital than the first root.

Mental health is everything.

It is the underpinning of the way you view your world.

If a change in your mental health leads to a change in your perspective, your entire life experience changes along with it.

Throw into the equation the fact that mental health conditions like anxiety and depression can affect your physical health, and you begin to see how complex loneliness truly is.

Going along with the theme of understanding yourself, mental health is just that–an ongoing commitment to know who you are.

Again, questions come in handy here to better understand your mental health:

What’s going on in your life currently?

Have you experienced any major life events?

Did you recently end an important relationship?

Are there any physical changes in your life?

All of these questions can point to the source of mental health challenges.

What’s important is that you don’t blame yourself for your current condition.

Instead, commit to uncovering the truth.

Be a scout, not a soldier.

Once the truth is in the open, it’s much easier to make a plan.

Feeling Lonely is Part of Life, But You Can Address Your Feelings of Loneliness By Getting to the Roots

The pain of loneliness doesn’t last forever.

It’s usually a temporary tug of the heart.

But if you have the kind of existential loneliness that hangs around for a long time, it’s time to get to work.

Thinking about your feeling of loneliness as two roots leading to a common pain can be a helpful approach.

1. Figure out how you make connections

2. Ask yourself questions to assess your mental health

The experience of loneliness can be absolutely awful.

It can also be overcome.

Dig deep.

Bring your feelings to light.

It’s always easier to navigate in the brightness of the day.

This a continuation of my experiment to send emails on Tuesday and Thursday instead of Monday and Wednesday. Once I get enough data, I’ll make a decision on the email schedule. Let me know if you have a preference!

If you’re feeling lonely, I hope this helps. If you’re not feeling lonely, file this newsletter away and use it whenever you need it.

I’m glad we’re connected,

Jordan

P.S. Have you listened to the 7 mental health stories I recorded last month? Himalaya has a fantastic app with lots of educational content. Their style is very similar to my own. You can listen to all of the stories for free on the app by using my promo code JORDANB here: www.himalaya.com/jordanb

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By Jordan Brown - Mental Health Newsletter Writer, Poet, Social Worker, and Advocate

The Mental Health Update Email Newsletter provides you with authentic mental health articles that make mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and OCD meaningful AND accessible.

This is different from typical mental health newsletters and articles about mental health challenges.

It's not just an Anxiety Email Newsletter or a Depression Email Newsletter - It's two weekly articles packed with timeless mental health wisdom and inspiration to start your day in a thoughtful, uplifting way.

I was tired of other "mental health care" newsletters blasting out generic lists of links and depression articles.

And I was especially tired of them not focusing on the everyday reality of mental health issues.

So I decided to come up with something I wanted to read.

This health newsletter is like a caring friend that just wants you to feel better.

Mental health awareness articles don't need to be all doom and gloom and filled with jargon.

With The Mental Health Update, you'll get practical mental health information, tips, and new ways to view the world. Especially now, with people reeling from the effects of the COVID 19 pandemic, we need trusted voices telling it like it is.

We discuss topics like anxiety, depression, OCD, the mental health to mental illness spectrum, social and communication skills, and much, much more.

This is what a few subscribers had to say about The Mental Health Update:

"If you haven't yet subscribed to Jordan's mental health newsletter, you absolutely should. It's chock full of good stuff to read and will help make your day better. Not unlike a daily vitamin for your mental health and soul..." - JR

"Encouragement from someone who has “been there” when it comes to mental health struggles. Comes in the form of stories and simple, actionable tips for reframing and working with - and through - your issues. One of the few newsletters that has survived my ruthless inbox decluttering sprees. Highly recommended!" - Kelila

"Jordan's mental health update is a welcomed email in my inbox. It often provides me with a chance to break from the mundane tasks of working in an office and take a moment for myself to hear his thoughtful and well put together thoughts on many aspects of mental health. As someone who works in the psychology field it's often a nice reminder and way of grounding myself to all the great work that's going on and the journey we all must take in supporting mental health. Thank you Jordan!" - Rob

I take my no-spam policy very seriously. I consider it a mental health obligation to not abuse your trust or raise your anxiety.

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The Mental Health Digest - Lonely? Try the 2-Root Approach Today

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