Loneliness is a complex emotion.

- Loneliness can be: Long-term relationship issues with a partner, a sense of distance between you—for example, living in the same house but having nothing to talk about, making their presence feel worse than being alone, which leads to feelings of disappointment or anger.

- Loneliness can be: Having a relationship end due to a partner leaving or a breakup, leaving you on your own with unhealed wounds and a sense of grief and loss.

- Loneliness can be: Seeing couples everywhere and comparing yourself to "everyone else," making you feel "strange" or "odd" for being alone, which triggers feelings of shame.

- Loneliness can be: Feeling inadequate, which makes you afraid to connect with others because you fear your true self will be discovered; at its core, this is driven by fear.

- Loneliness can be: Trying to reach out to others, but feeling like no one notices or responds to you, leaving you feeling discouraged.

- Loneliness can be: A long-term lack of social skills, not knowing how to start conversations, connect, or interact with others, which makes you feel awkward and helpless.

- Loneliness can be: Feeling that others are untrustworthy or will hurt you, leading you to deliberately push people away.

I’ve provided these examples to show that loneliness isn't "simple," and it can't just be solved by "finding someone to keep you company." Furthermore, we have all experienced it to some degree; you are not alone in your loneliness.

During holidays and special occasions, when feelings of loneliness surface, perhaps it’s an opportunity for us to get to know ourselves—a chance for "self-discovery"!