A week or so ago, I attended a webinar put on by Mental Health America about loneliness. The ill effects loneliness can have on a person’s life are huge, not only mentally, but physically as well. Thankfully connections with others can start improving loneliness in as little as 40 seconds.

I’ve always been a bit of a loner and enjoyed my alone time to recharge, because I had connections with friends that saw regularly or interacted with online. I didn’t really feel lonely most of the time. Now though, I’m rarely ever alone, but I feel lonely because I don’t have that true connection and understanding from my family, and I don’t really have friends here in Oregon.

I have an amazing team at work, and they do understand me. I feel close to them, but I’m also their supervisor, so there will always be that slight distance between us. Though I feel like if I wasn’t their supervisor we could definitely be friends.

Since taking that long break from social media last year, I’ve lost touch with many of my virtual friends as well. And I haven’t heard from friends in Washington or California in a while. Over the last year or so, we seem to have drifted apart.

How do you make new friends in your 50’s?