 Hey, Psych2goers. It's been said that loneliness is a universal human experience. And chances are, if you're watching this, then you've probably felt lonely too. No one is exempt from feeling a sense of loneliness in their lives from time to time, no matter what their age, race, background, or social circumstances may be. But when left to its own devices, it can be a potentially damaging state of mind to be in. So, why do we feel lonely? And better yet, what can we do about it? Well, here are six psychology-backed signs to help with just that. Number one, you have a good friend or two. Most people tend to feel lonely when they don't have as many friends as they like, or they have too many acquaintances they don't feel particularly close to. So, if you have at least one close friend in your life you genuinely feel like you can trust and who cares for you, then you're already doing so much better than you probably think you are. In fact, one of the most famous psychological studies, the 40-year Harvard study on happiness, has found that it's not the quality of our social relationships that determines our happiness, but rather their quality. Number two, you have people you can get help from. Many people want to be popular and well-liked, never without a friend by their side or flaunting a million followers on social media. But we all know that deep down inside, none of that matters. If the people you surround yourself with don't truly care about you as a person. So, if you've ever found yourself in a tough spot before or struggling with a problem that someone in your life helped you to solve, be it a friend or a family member, then count yourself lucky. You're not as alone as you think you are. Number three, you have people who can give you advice. Even though you might feel too scared to open up and burden other people with your problems or worry that they might treat and look at you differently once you do, the truth is you'll never really know until you try. Who knows? You might already have plenty of people in your life who'd be more than happy to listen to what's troubling you and even offer some advice, like your parents, your best friend, your teacher, your guidance counselor, and so on. Number four, you can talk about your hobbies and interests. Okay, so maybe talking about all the touchy-feely stuff is a bit uncomfortable for you. That's okay. A lot of people feel the same way. But talking to someone about your hobbies and interests can be just as fulfilling and therapeutic too, especially with those who share the same passion as you. Finding someone you can talk to about all the things that make you happy, whether it's a favorite film, book, or pastime, is already enough to make us feel a stronger sense of belonging and emotional connection with others. Number five, you have people you regularly check in with. Even if you might not see them as often as you'd like or you feel like you've drifted apart and aren't as close as you used to be, that doesn't mean that your loved ones have stopped caring about you or that you don't matter to them anymore. Chances are even if they don't keep in touch anymore, they still check in on you from time to time and make sure you're okay. Sunday brunch at your parents' house? Grab- grabbing coffee with an old friend. A quick phone call from your sibling. All of these things tell you you're not as alone as you might feel sometimes because at the end of the day, your loved ones will always be there. And number six, you're careful about who you let in. Being careful about who you let into your life and your inner circle can reap a lot of rewards, but it can also make us feel more alone than we really are. We might feel like we don't have as much of a social media presence, don't go out as often as other people think we should aren't constantly surrounded by other people in our day-to-day lives. Regardless of all these things, however, it's still a lot better to choose your friends wisely because then you can be sure that the people you do let your guard down around can be trusted. So, do you relate to any of the things we've mentioned here? Has this helped you realize that you're not as alone as you once thought? While it's tempting to push such a painful and scary feeling aside, it's important that we acknowledge it and try to understand why we're feeling this way. Loneliness, after all, is just like any other human emotion. It's meant to teach us something about ourselves we might not yet realize. Maybe your loneliness is trying to tell you to make a conscious effort to get closer to your loved ones, or maybe it's telling you that something needs to change in your life. Regardless, whatever the reason may be, if you're seriously struggling with your mental health, the best thing you can do is reach out to a mental health care professional today and seek help. If you found this video helpful, like and share it with friends that might find insight in it too. Remember to subscribe to Psych2Go and hit the notification bell for more content. All the sources used are added in the description box below. Thanks for watching. Until next time.