“I’m kind of an absent friend, like I will love you with my whole heart, and go out of my way to give you any help you need, but I tend to live in my own world, and suck at keeping up communication, and I’m really sorry to anyone who takes that personally” — The Minds Journal
Reading that line hits me in the core. I’m sorry that I have been an absent friend. To my friends… I am lonely, and I need you.
I typically stretch myself thin, way too thin to the point that I let my friendship and family interactions fall by the wayside. Even though I work several jobs, and go in several different directions every day, I still miss my filling my social tank with something besides a conversation with a 3-year-old screaming for more chips. I am lonely as a mom, so I once downloaded the Peanut app to make new mom friends. It was too time-consuming, so I stopped checking the app. Yep, I’m in the ‘thick of it’ raising 3-year-old twins and a 5-year-old.
It should come easy, right? I am an extrovert. You would think being an extrovert comes easy for me at holding deep friendships, but I have found that can be the opposite. We get overstimulated and it can be quite lonely.
According to Gizmodo.com, “Introverts tend to avoid such active environments. Extroverts, on the other hand, are only minimally aroused, so they seek out highly stimulating environments to augment their arousal levels.” Hence, craving a high-functioning lifestyle leaves us stretched thin, on top of being stretched thin already being a mom.
Motherhood is not always easy and can be quite lonely, here are some ways we can get through it.
14 Ways to Overcome Feelings of Mom Loneliness:
1) Kindness to yourself
3) Evaluate how you’re spending your time
4) Get outside more
5) Make small talk with people you interact with
6) Use social media to make connections
7) Place your focus on helping others
8) Journal your feelings
9) Take a class (exercise or hobby-based)
14) Join a parenting group
