Loneliness is a familiar feeling that affects many nursing students. Nursing school is challenging to navigate with the pressures of keeping up with grades and passing exams. It can almost feel like there’s no time to mingle with classmates and form lifelong bonds like on traditional college campuses.

Some well-intended advice might be to “meet new people,” but nursing students are often overwhelmed by college work and clinicals, which can leave them with limited time to socialize.

Knowing that nursing students aren’t alone and feel isolated

is comforting. Loneliness can be hard to navigate, especially if it makes you feel sad and depressed.

Thankfully, there are ways you can cope with those heavy emotions and feel like you’re not completely alone. Below are some strategies to use when feeling isolated from your nursing life.

1. Accept that things will get better

Although it can feel like loneliness is never-ending, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Once new students feel settled, they can find friends later in the semester.

Some nursing students find their people at clinicals, where it’s easier to form relationships with people they’re working with to solve a problem. Nursing is all about critical thinking and problem solving through teamwork, and what better way to do that than with other nurses?

It’s also possible to advance into school without making friends. That’s okay— you can still make it through the year and end up fine. Many choose to focus on their studies and graduate without forming new connections. You may create new bonds at a nursing job or a professional organization.

Either way, there’s nothing wrong with feeling alone at the moment. It’s completely valid and normal for nursing students navigating challenging workloads.

2. Focus on improving your mental health

Loneliness is a hard feeling to shake off. Feeling alone isn’t always an issue that needs to be addressed, but feeling lonely could be if it’s impairing your grades and self-esteem.

Other symptoms of loneliness that are maladaptive include wanting to isolate from others, avoiding new places and people, or feeling different from everyone else. These symptoms can form with a new life change, like starting nursing school, navigating present mental health issues, or dealing with a personal issue separate from school.

It is crucial to pause and acknowledge when loneliness must be addressed. If it’s making you feel bad most of the time, it can turn into chronic stress and even depression.

One way to manage loneliness is to seek help through therapy. If you don’t see a therapist, your school or university may be able to provide one for free. Talking through how you feel and what is affecting you can be a great way to release all of that mental pressure from your mind.

Another way is to learn how to be okay with being alone. There’s a common misconception that the more people around us, the less lonely we feel. That’s not always the case. Loneliness can still happen even if we’re surrounded by a study group or people we know.

Invest in learning about what self-care looks like when you’re alone. Maybe you feel better about yourself when you spend time with a pet. Or perhaps you can try a new hobby by yourself, like knitting or attempting an arts and crafts project.

3. Nourish the relationships you already have

Current relationships can bring the compassion we need when our emotional reserve is too low. Ask a friend near you or a family member to go out with you for an activity you like. You can also stay in and spend some time with them watching a movie.

Spending time with people we know, and love can distract you from your thoughts and remind you that you have a life outside of nursing school. Friends can also give you the support and laughter to hold you up wherever you feel overwhelmed and crushed by the weight of nursing responsibilities.

Loneliness from nursing school can be tough to deal with. But with the right support system, resources, and acceptance, you can face whatever roadblocks lie in your path.

The post Feeling Alone in Nursing School? 3 Smart Ways to Cope with Loneliness first appeared on Daily Nurse.