How To Tackle Loneliness And Social Interaction Anxiety This Holiday Season

A quarter of Australians say they feel alone at least one day a week – with supposedly hyper-connected millennials citing social interaction anxiety as a reason for their isolation. As the holiday season arrives, here are some useful tips to manage it.

By Natalie Cornish

Wellbeing

By Natalie Cornish

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Loneliness doesn’t discriminate, that was one of the first lessons I learned as a crisis support helpline volunteer at Lifeline where the majority of callers – regardless of age, gender or location – simply craved hearing another human voice.

Sadly, isolation and loneliness are now headed towards epidemic levels in Australia. One in four of us reports feeling alone at least one day a week with 30 percent saying they don’t feel part of a group of friends, according to the Australian Psychological Society’s (ASP) 2018 Loneliness Study.

Think positive

“Worries about social situations can make you overthink your interactions. Don’t dwell on worries about how you are perceived – shift your focus to the other person or the topic of conversation.”

If you or someone you know is seeking support and information about mental health or suicide prevention, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.