How To Prevent Loneliness and Depression

Strategy # 1

When I get really bored, I read articles from scientific journals. These guys work hard and they face a lot of problems. Give them your support. The one I read this morning was a study on loneliness, isolation and depression in elderly people conducted in Delhi.

I'm not quite sure there are enough common factors to assume the study is applicable to an old woman living in McAllen, Texas, but. what the heck, I'll go with it. The outcome of the study indicated that loneliness and depression increased the likelihood of mortality in the elderly.

Surprise!

Strategy # 2

The study did not give many remedies for this situation. I'll suggest a few. Learn to enjoy the Baseball box scores. Read more comic books. Take up ballroom dancing. You'll always have a partner. Learn doubles tennis: You'll have a partner and someone to play against. So far, I've only offered strategies to prevent reading scientific journals. Of course, some of them will also prevent you from being lonely, but only in select situations.

The bottom line is learn to entertain yourself. Find the books that thrill you even if you've read them before. Play games that are still fun when you loose. Do things it's more fun to do alone, like fly a kite. Read the deeply engrossing things like The Song of Solomon that hold truths you can't explain to anybody else, but you get to turn over and over in your mind to enjoy the different facets.

Strategy # 3

You can also learn to anticipate Heaven. Learn the language of Heaven. Learn to love. Heaven will be populated with love. Revelations is a good start. First, love the people you love; next, love the people you don't love. It takes some effort; work at it. Finally, you have to love the people you don't know, but you love them anyway.

The loving part is the most fun and the most productive.  And you'll never be lonely.