Loneliness

Ideas that may help if you're feeling lonely at the moment 

• Don't be afraid to reach out to people to tell them how you're feeling.
• Suggest a catch-up with a friend, family member or colleague you haven't spoken to recently and maybe set reminders to do this regularly.
• Write down your thoughts and try to challenge any unhelpful ones.
• Take small steps to engage in something new like a new group or volunteering opportunity.
• Regularly schedule in some time for some fun activities.
• Set some really simple goals that might help you feel better in the longer-term. 
• Be kind to yourself. Self-care is so important to our general wellbeing levels.  

Trying something new / making new connections

• Groups, networks and activities: Joining a group is a great way to meet new people and there's strong evidence to show that social connection and feeling your a member of a community is one of the top five things that benefit your mental wellbeing. We highly recommend exploring the internal networks, social groups and activities run by and for both staff and PGRs across the University as a way to connect with others in the University community. There are online and in-person options to suit your location, preference and circumstances including a variety of staff and student Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity networks and interdisciplinary research networks as well as sports, book clubs etc.
• Ask others in your team, department or research group whether there are local social groups and activities as many may not be on the main University list above!
• Meetup is a platform for finding and building local communities.
• People use Meetup to meet new people, learn new things, find support, get out of their comfort zones, and pursue their passions, together.
• The University of Exeter Chaplaincy offers one-to-one, pastoral support as well as drop in cafes. You can book a "Time to Talk" appointment for a confidential, non-judgemental talk with a chaplain. You do not have to have any religious beliefs to contact the Chaplaincy for pastoral support or to join in with their Connections Cafés, but they also run some faith groups.
• Reach out to a Mental Health Champion or the Colleague Wellbeing team who can signpost some relevant resources.

Other support

• Spectrum Life is our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) which is a confidential, neutral service provided by an external company to support colleagues at the University. You could sign up for some free counselling sessions to work through how you're feeling.
• NHS: Every Mind Matters - Loneliness 
• Mind: Tips to manage loneliness
• NHS: Coping with Loneliness during Covid-19
• It can be helpful to go through one of Mind’s ‘Wellness Action Plans’ (workplace, remote and hybrid) with your manager so you can both explore how they can support you more with your wellbeing. They also offer a managers support guide. 
• The Access to Work Mental Health Support - a confidential service delivered by Remploy funded by the Department of Works and Pensions is available at no charge to any employees with depression, anxiety, stress or other mental health issues affecting their work. 
• NHS Talking Therapies (previously called IAPT)- an NHS support you can refer yourself directly to for talking therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), counselling, other therapies and guided self-help. 

• Make yourself available to talk to. You can simply say that you're here if they ever want to chat. Just knowing someone is there for them can be very reasurring. 
• Reach out. Send a text or make a call to check-in. 
• Ask open questions about themselves. This shows you care about them and their wellbeing. 
• If you can, invite them to join you to do something - perhaps a coffee or a walk.
• Encourage them to stay active when they can.
• If they say that they're feeling lonely, you could help them find new connections - perhaps via a local/online group to join, or point out some of the resources in the above section, such as Meetup.