Feeling lonely is a normal thing and happens to everyone from time to time. In these instances, it is important to remember that you may feel lonely at this time, but you are not alone. It is important to combat this feeling head-on since a repetition of this feeling could lead to depression and anxiety. Firstly, try and identify what is making you feel this way. There are many things you can do to boost your morale in order to combat this feeling. If it is low self-esteem, start keeping a self-gratitude journal. This keeps a record of all positive, rewarding, and pleasant experiences you can look back to every night to increase joy. Positive self-talk on a daily basis, as well as keeping company around you that is sympathetic, encouraging, and motivating, can help your overall mood.

With supportive family and friends around you, these feelings of worthlessness and loneliness diminish. Sometimes, it is we who are being lazy about reaching out to friends and family, thus feeling lonely. Getting together with friends or family may just be a phone call away to arrange. In conjunction with solidifying positive relationships between yourself and others, it is essential to keep yourself busy. You can achieve this through getting a job, participating in volunteer work, school, and exercise. If you cannot afford a gym membership, even taking a walk outside, in the neighbourhood, is a good way to refresh both your mind and body. Another form of exercise other than joining a gym, is to join fitness classes such as yoga or a drop-in basketball class.

If you feel lonely persistently, even coming to a congregational prayer at the mosque or Namaz center can improve your mood. It is Islam’s way of ensuring that no one feels lonely as it gives multiple opportunities every day to meet up with other members of the Jama‘at, build new friendships, and ultimately improve both our spiritual lives and worldly connections. Another way to meet new people is to see what is happening in your community online or at your local community center. If you are not keen on physical activity, you can do something creative, such as a puzzle.

Another activity you can participate in is mediation, which in its best form, would be spiritual closeness to God Almighty through offering Salat with both sincerity and hope. A simple way of improving Salat is to set aside a good amount of time for a voluntary Salat, ensuring that the time allocated is going to be quiet and no one will disturb, and doing it in a closed room. This will allow you to open up to God about how you may be feeling and can ultimately make you feel better. In addition to this, sometimes volunteering and offering a helping hand can help you realize your own value and worth. The most beneficial thing you can do for your mental health is to try to identify what brings you joy and what activities bring you peace, so that you can participate in more of them. In turn, if you are constantly having a feeling of loneliness with no positive change, and none of these suggestions help, it may be time to go seek professional help, since this can be a symptom of clinical depression.