Fighting Loneliness

December may be the most popular month for socialising, but it is also a time when many people feel lonely amongst the crowds of happy revellers.

A new in-depth study by The British Red Cross in association with Co-op shows that over nine million people in the UK ‘ report they are always or often lonely’. It also found that ‘life triggers’ for loneliness can include separation and divorce.

However, there are ways to decrease your feelings of loneliness now and throughout the year.

Make the first move

Meeting your perfect match will mean that you will always have someone to support you through thick and thin. Thousands of country-loving singles singles join Muddy Matches each week so there will always be lots of people to talk to and hopefully to find your ‘muddy match’.

If you are looking to meet someone, making the first move by sending them a message is the best way to get things started. If everyone sat back and waited for someone else to contact them it would be a website full of people who are just browsing.

Seek out friendship

As you get older, it becomes harder to maintain friendships as people move for work, get married, have babies, or spend time caring for elderly relatives. Your weekly pub outings suddenly become a monthly thing, or an annual meet up.

So while it is good to maintain existing friendships, they may not be enough to keep you from feeling lonely.

As well as being a website for online dating, Muddy Matches is also a great way to meet new friends who share your interests. Search for people who are ‘looking for friendship’ as well as dating.

Volunteer in your community

If you have a busy lifestyle it is difficult to make time for regular volunteering opportunities, but sometimes your community needs a group to help out with one off projects that will help you to meet other people who life close-by.

Take a look at your local noticeboard and see what you can get involved with.