Loneliness and isolation are something that can affect everyone, and with the challenges of lockdowns over the past year, it's been even more prevalent and even more important that we talk about it. Our Pride in Ageing officer, Amy King, had these tips to share:

Pursue your interests: Look online or call your local community centre to see if any groups interest you. If you’re not feeling ready to attend in person there might be online spaces you can join. If there’s a hobby or skill you’ve always wanted to learn why not look for a free online tutorial to get you started? You don’t have to be a pro at something to enjoy it and have fun.

Connect with others: If you’re a bit fed up with zoom calls you could try other ways of connecting with people. Why not send someone a letter? Or join an online group with people who share your interests? Even little interactions with people in your community can help you feel more connected.

Reach out: It can be helpful to open up to someone you trust about your loneliness. This could be a friend, family member, health care professional or a peer support group. Putting words to what you’re feeling can be powerful and help you to think about what you’d like to do moving forward.

Take your time: You don’t need to tackle your feelings of loneliness all in one go. Make changes to your routine at a pace that feels comfortable to you. Just because something works for someone else doesn’t mean it has to work for you too. If it doesn’t feel like the right time for a particular change then you can always come back to it later. It’s about doing what feels right for you.

For more advice on wellbeing, check out our Wellbeing Hub. If you need to talk to someone about how you're feeling, you can contact our helpline on 0345 3 30 30 30, 9-9 on weekdays, 10-6 on weekends.