Emotional Intelligence Pocketbook

MANAGING LONELINESS

I’m not afraid to be lonely at the top. – Barry Bonds

There’s a difference between being alone and being lonely. To be alone means to be physically separated from others; to be physically on your own. But with loneliness you feel emotionally separate and emotionally alone.

Of course, when you’re physically alone you may also feel emotionally alone – lonely. But often the cliché is also true; it is possible to feel lonely in a crowd. Even though you may be with other people, you might as well be alone because you feel unconnected from those around you.

While the circumstances that can cause loneliness may be different – moving to a new area or a new job, relationship breakup, bereavement, illness, disability, discrimination ...