26%.

This is the proportion of university students who feel lonely according to a survey carried out by ONS, the UK’s largest independent producer of official statistics. Compared to just 8% of the general population who share the same feeling, it’s clear that the problem of loneliness between students is common and deep rooted and cannot be ignored. (There is no doubt that there is a strong link between feelings of loneliness and a decline in mental health – we at atozmed are here to try and help you at every step of your medical journey. If you, at any point, feel you need help, we have a page on our website linking you to sites and charities that can help. Remember there is always help readily available, you’ll never walk alone).

There may be many reasons for the growing proportion of students who feel lonely, the recent shift to online learning doing no favours, below you can find some tips on how to cope with this problem.

1.       Reach out and talk to someone

If you’re feeling lonely it can be easy to bottle it up and distance from other people, but this is one of the worst things you can do. Try reaching out and speaking to someone about your troubles, like a flat mate or someone on your course. The evidence shows that you are not alone; the chances are, they’ve been feeling exactly the same. If you can’t find someone to talk to, journaling is a great method to start expressing your emotions. Arguably, the worst thing to do is to keep your feelings inside, if you can’t talk to someone, write your feelings down.

2.       Set realistic goals

Set yourself small targets to start with, for example speaking to someone new each time you go to a lecture, arranging to go for a coffee with one of your flatmates, and going on a certain number of social events every week. You can then build up to bigger targets such as joining a club or society, or starting a new hobby.

3.       Join a society or club

Universities are bursting with social activities, clubs and societies – there is no doubt you will find one that fits your needs. From sports to religion and everything in between, there will always be a society for you, and within it, people who share the same passions as you. You can check your university’s website or speak to a member of staff at the ‘Fresher’s Fair”, which happens in the first few weeks. Joining a society is a great way to meet people with similar interests, become part of a community, and broaden your social circle. One of the best ways to combat loneliness is to encourage yourself to join a society. If you play sports, why not join a team? If you play a musical instrument, you could look at joining a university band or orchestra.

4.       Stay in touch with family and friends

While it’s important to engage with your new surroundings and reach out to new people, one of the best ways to boost your mood is to speak with your friends and family. This is why it’s so

important to stay in touch – pick up the phone and call your parents, siblings or friends from home as often as you need to.

5.       Establish a routine

While it may be difficult to create a routine in the busy first few weeks of uni, it’s important to establish a healthy pattern. Try to go food shopping or go to the gym on certain days of the week. Little steps like this can help you feel more settled in your new university life.

6.       Believe in yourself

It’s so important that you don’t blame yourself for feeling lonely or isolated at university. Be positive; tell yourself that things will get better and believe that you are going to have a great experience – the chances are that you will.

When to seek professional help

For some, the feelings of loneliness and homesickness can run a bit deeper, and may not improve over time. It may cause other symptoms to develop, such as panic attacks, and mental health conditions including depression and anxiety.

If you find that negative emotions seem to dominate your life, and you’re feeling low most of the time, it is extremely important that you get some professional help. The first place to head is your university’s counselling team via student services. They might be able to offer you peer mentoring or ‘buddy support’, while they also signpost students to various clubs, societies, study support and chaplain/pastoral support too. Alternatively, you can speak to your GP or, as mentioned above, contact the help lines, we have on our page.

Remember, you’re not alone and you don’t have to struggle with your mental health at uni – help is available.

We hope this blog helped shed some light on how you can cope with loneliness at university, you are not alone, especially at Atozmed. We try to build a family culture and helping you is at the core of what we do – please reach out to us if you need any help.