Without companionship, people become lonely and withdrawn.
Being solitary is not good for people emotionally, mentally or physically.
Our bodies and minds are all interconnected so when we feel stress from being alone and have no close friends or family as our support system we struggle in many ways.
We feel lonely, down, sad and stressed which can lead to physical ailments as well.
Although society now teaches people that they to be strong individuals and rely only on themselves, that does not take away their inherent need for others.
The most important thing to know about having companionship these days
People need to be connected to other people no matter what society says.
We are taught to stand on our own two feet and be a strong individual but in reality, we as a species are not good with social isolation.
We need companionship and social connection to feel good and thrive.
Whether we have a friend, peer group, family, confident or partner they all offer a relationship that helps create a social support system and give us someone to share our feelings and lives with.
It is important to have an individual that you can spend time with and with whom you feel close to.
Companionship is something humans can not go without; we are not meant to be alone.
It does not matter whether we are speaking about a small child, an adult or a senior: we all need a connection to other people and to have those with whom we share some type of emotional bond.
Companionship for all individuals is critical to maintaining good health and mental wellbeing.
This statement is proven through the study of biology, neuroscience, psychology and sociology.
All these areas of academic study point out that humans are much better off when we are with people.
The Benefits of Companionship
We do not do well at being on our own.
Studies have shown that having a companion helps reduce depression in people, alleviates the feeling of loneliness and curtails negative thoughts.
The need for others is built into our DNA and without those connections, we can experience loneliness, isolation and feel disconnected from the world.
Companionship does the opposite for us by enhancing the feeling of pleasure, happiness and feeling good about ourselves.
It offers a way out or staves off being lonely.
Physical
Having a companion is important to a person’s physical health.
There are studies showing that even our genes are affected by our social connections.
The closer we are to people, one or more, the faster we feel better when we are ill and the more content we will be when life throws us medical curveballs.
It has been proven that the better our social support system is the stronger our immune system becomes.
Not having connectedness shows the opposite effect and imposes chronic (ongoing) stress on our bodies.
Feelings of isolation and internal stress often lead to poor sleep, obesity, high blood pressure, cancer and cardiovascular disease.
People who feel lonely also tend to engage in more health-harming activities such as smoking and drinking.
There are studies that go back over decades that say individuals who reported feeling isolated and without companions passed away younger than those who make friends and build their social circles.
Those who experience loneliness are much more likely to have health-related failings which then becomes a cyclical problem as the health issues lead to further aloneness.
People are lonely, become ill, can not get out of the house due to illness and suffer from increased loneliness with the illness enforced isolation.
Emotional
Companionship is also important to an individual’s emotional health as well.
Living alone and having no friends can lead to many emotional issues that are serious.
This need for connection to keep people emotionally healthy is why hospitals are focusing more on patient relationships and making sure everyone has some visitors as it promotes contentment and healing.
Social interaction and being connected in a healthy way to others raises self-esteem and builds trust and well being both for the individual and those they are engaging with.
The opposite is true with those who do not have the benefit of that companionship connection.
Their emotions tend to be filled with more negative feelings rather than ones that life them up.
They are feeling sad and can have extensive feelings of loneliness.
These feelings can spiral into mental health issues which opens the door to a whole new area that is problematic for the person who is feeling lonely.
Mental
Lonely people experience stress, and this is a significant factor when it comes to someone experiencing mental illness.
When we feel that we do not have companionship in our lives and we are feeling isolated, we tend to shut down emotionally and disconnect both from both ourselves and people with whom we would normally interact.
Being disconnected from everyone causes stress and when you have no support system to share the good and bad things in your life with you become lonely and exacerbate those feelings of stress and create the potential of being affected by various issues of mental illness.
While stress if a factor in creating mental illness struggles, being alone can also exacerbate ones that already exist such as anxiety.
While loneliness can come from social anxiety, it can also make it much worse.
The loneliness again creates a cyclical issue.
This anxiety and stress make the immune system react poorly which in turn can create both mental and physical issues.
There are studies that state our brains work more effectively when we talk to people and experience some emotional closeness.
Children learn better by being friends with others, teens learn social cues from their peer groups and seniors stay mentally fit by interacting with others on a regular basis.
All these interactions with companions stave off stress and anxiety.
However, it is well known that being with people does not mean you have companionship.
It has to be more than just someone’s physical presence.
There are many people in the world that are social yet have no real relationships.
Companions need to be emotionally connected to us as well.
These connections help you stay healthy by supporting the immune system and keeping the mind active and feeling positive.
Companions are crucial in keeping people from the feeling of isolation and keeping the serotonin in the brain going so they happy feelings and contentment.
Psychological
While having a companion or companions is important to our physical, emotional and mental health, there is also an innate drive to be social that needs to be fed.
People have a need to belong and when they do not, they feel very lonely and excluded.
The human brain craves social relationships.
This does not mean something is wrong if you are an introvert, a loner, suffer from extreme shyness or just want to be alone.
It simply means that at some point you will crave companionship even if it is just for a short time.
There are times when you will have to overcome your shyness, social anxiety or other issues that keep you on your own even if it is just to be hanging out with family.
It is important for your overall well being.
Finding your Companions
While we now know the detrimental issues when we do not have companions, we need to understand how to go about finding them if we do not already have them in our lives.
It is one thing to enjoy your solitude and time to be alone but another to be living the loneliest life possible.
Time alone is enjoyed by most people to some extent but as with most things in life, everything needs to be done in moderation.
If you are someone who struggles with finding people with whom you can be close to then you need to find a way to meet people and build up those much-needed relationships.
To find a good companion, look close by.
There is no reason to be ashamed that you are trying to break out of your solitude, not everyone can be a social whirlwind.
Start by perhaps engaging with people at work.
They are people you see almost every day and that you engage with.
Even if there is no one there who you “click” with, they maybe introduce you to others outside of work with whom you have things in common.
Maybe there are some work outings you can attend to see your fellow workers in a more social situation or school events where people join in specifically to socialize.
You may even find there are others who you start engaging within these various groups that also feel alone and are looking for someone to be friends with as well.
And while it is never easy to step out of your comfort zone, you will not be able to stave off the feelings of loneliness unless you make the effort to engage with others.
While obviously many people have family, they can rely on for companionship, the family is not always living nearby and easily accessible.
We are a society that has instilled in our young people that they need to be successful in the workforce which means many of them are having to move away for work or school to meet those goals and are now living alone.
While they may be close to their families emotionally, living far away leaves a gap in their social support system when they need something immediately.
This gap in the support system means there is a necessity to find non-family friends.
If you are dealing with loneliness on a regular basis and have no one close by that can help you, then maybe you need to find some local groups to help you out of that situation.
Find groups that are centred on things you like to do, hobbies or other engaging activities.
Look for social groups such as a cinema club, live theatre, sports team and arts programs.
Once again, you may find a companion when you go to places like this as there will be like-minded people who are looking to make social connections as well.
Perhaps they feel lonely or struggle to connect with others just as you do.
Having similar interests means you already have a conversation starter and you can build from there.
There may also be people there who have felt lonely in the past and can understand why you are struggling to interact.
It is these people who you may find as your biggest support as they understand exactly what you are feeling.
Finally, reach out to your family for companionship no matter where you are.
If you are struggling on your own and can not seem to find companionship in others who are immediately around you, make an extra effort to be in touch with those you know.
Even if your family lives far away you can try to engage with them so you at least have some social support system that can help alleviate the feelings of being alone.
While we do not all have the perfect family, many of us have at least one family member we can turn to.
If you are feeling really alone, then perhaps organizing a trip to see them or they to you can help.
If that is not feasible, then using video calls and the phone is a good way to see and hear them.
Sometimes simply seeing a friendly face or hearing the voice of someone you care about can do wonders for alleviating the feelings of being alone.
How to Meet People
Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, meeting new people does not always fall into the categories of easy or simple, especially as we get older.
When we are younger, we have our families and our close friends who are usually the center of our social comfort zone but as we age, we have to have to engage with others beyond those close ties.
We may move away for a new job, stated at a new school or simply moved out of the family home as we grow up.
Finding friendly people, we can relate to maybe a challenge.
If you want to meet people, start local.
Try talking to people you work with or see at school.
Join social events that these places have.
Join in with people that have similar interests so you can join them on a team or taking part in an event.
You can also look for local hobby groups around the arts or sports.
There are lots of people to meet if you get out in the world.
Social Outing and Activities
There is so much to do when you are getting together with people.
Finding social groups is easy when you are settled in one place.
Social media platforms often have groups that you can join both online and in reality.
Interest groups, teams, service clubs and charitable organizations are the perfect social outings in which to meet people.
Groups like this will offer activities where you can engage with your community and those who are like-minded.
Once you meet being to meet people then you will begin to feel more and more comfortable in social situations.
It will be easier to build friendships and perhaps make social outings more intimate with a smaller group.
Social outings and engaging activities are a wonderful way to build up a depleted social circle and get back into having fun with others.
Realize your fantasies
When you start socializing, there is an ability to start to realize that you can think outside the box on what you want to do.
It takes a bit of nerve to build up your social confidence but once you are feeling good about things, its time to do things you have always wanted to.
As we get older, we realize that perhaps we let some of our dreams go for whatever reason but now that you are engaging with others and enjoying socializing it may be time to look at the things you fantasize about doing.
Maybe you always wanted to play a certain sport, sing in a musical, learn a certain craft or trade, maybe its something a little more risk like pole dancing or an adult social club.
No matter what it is, perhaps its time to realize your fantasies and expand your social horizons.
The loneliness
Loneliness is not a feeling you want to have long term.
While all of us feel it at some point in our lives, it usually is a feeling that passes.
When it becomes ingrained in your life then its time to take a hard look at how you are living your life and how you are engaging with others around you.
While loneliness can certainly happen to anyone but sometimes, we do not help ourselves out of it.
It takes some effort to break a cycle where we simply do not engage with others on more than on a surface level.
We as human beings need more than that to stay happy and healthy.
If you feel like loneliness is permeating your life, then take steps to reengage with others and do what you can to find social circles that will give you enjoyment and a sense of purpose.
