The cure to the loneliness epidemic was the friends we made along the way #hottake #solotravel

The cure to the loneliness epidemic was the friends we made along the way #hottake #solotravel #solodining #greenscreen #greenscreenvideo

Transcript

00:00I think if you're not doing things alone, you're living life wrong.

00:03As a person who does things alone all the time, I feel like I'm qualified to say this.

00:07We've all heard about the so-called loneliness epidemic, which apparently is just for boys.

00:12Maybe you've seen these types of videos around TikTok where people film themselves interacting with strangers and it's set to this Hozier song.

00:18But what if this mentality was actually the cure to the loneliness epidemic?

00:22Psychology Today reports that 73% of Gen Z feel alone either sometimes or always.

00:28But I'm here to say that being alone can actually help.

00:31Here are a few strategies that I've embraced.

00:34I'm a big fan of the artist date, which is a term that comes from this self-help book by Julia Cameron called The Artist's Way.

00:40This dates are solo weekly excursions you take to feed your creativity.

00:44It might be going to a museum, walking around a new part of town, taking yourself to dinner, anything that might feed your soul.

00:50It's a perfect way to start to get out of your online bubble.

00:53In the beginning, it might feel weird to go somewhere by yourself.

00:56You might wonder what to do with your hands.

00:58You might feel like you look friendless.

01:00But in my experience, the only person thinking that is you.

01:04Plus, when you're out by yourself, you have more chances to eavesdrop on the conversations happening around you.

01:09Which brings me to my next point.

01:11Talk to strangers.

01:12Ask your server what restaurants they like to go to on their night off.

01:15Tell the woman in line in the bathroom that you like her purse.

01:18Even just say thank you to your bus driver.

01:20Plus, if your server thinks that you're lonely, they might send you a free drink.

01:25It's some restaurant's policy to do this for solo diners.

01:28Little do they know you're having fun anyways.

01:30Talking to strangers might feel against the advice of any mom who's watched too much Dateline, but I promise it's key for staying connected.

01:37And these interactions might not always go smoothly, but that's the point.

01:40You're bumping up against humanity, making connections, and being open.

01:44You go from one person living their life alone to a part of a whole who are all trying to make it together.

01:49So yeah, I'm with Hozier on this one.

01:51You know what?

01:51I'm usually with Hozier on most things.