Even introverts know what loneliness feels like. There is a key difference between being alone and feeling lonely. “Alone” is a state of being by oneself without others around, and can actually be a healthy phenomenon. Everyone needs a little time away from others to plan, consider, and simply to rest. Loneliness is a different matter entirely.

就算是性格內向的人，也知道孤獨是什么滋味。“獨自一人” 和“感到孤獨” 有著根本區別。“獨自一人”是指只有自己、身邊無人陪伴的狀態，實際上也可以是一種健康現象。每個人都需要一點獨處的時間，用于計劃、思考或純粹休息。孤獨卻完全是另外一碼事。

While it’s normal to feel lonely or isolated from time to time, too much loneliness can be unhealthy or even dangerous. Numerous studies have linked excessive, ongoing feelings of loneliness and isolation to depression, mental illness, and even physical problems such as insomnia, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

雖然偶爾感到孤獨或孤立還算正常，但若經常如此，可能就不健康甚至危險了。無數研究均認為持續的過度孤獨感會導致抑郁癥、心理疾病，以及像失眠、糖尿病、高血壓和心臟病等各種身體疾病。

The good news is, loneliness is a condition that can be fought against and overcome! Here are 9 things to do when you feel lonely that will make you feel healthier, more integrated, and less painfully alone.

好消息是，孤獨是一種能夠戰勝克服的狀態！當你感到孤獨時，可以嘗試下面9件事情，這樣你會感到更健康、更協調，也不再為孤單而煩惱了。

1. Take a walk

散散步

This may seem disingenuous, but walking has been proven to offer many great health benefits both for the body and the mind. Any form of exercise would do as well, but walking is better because it allows one to explore their town or the area around them in a way a car simply does not allow.

這個建議聽上去好像不夠實誠，但事實證明散步確實對身心健康大有益處。其他鍛煉方式也行，但散步更好，因為散步讓人有機會探索自己的城市或附近街區，而這一點絕不是汽車能代勞的。

While walking, take a different route than you usually would to get to a usual goal point. Even better, simply pick a direction at random and start. Just the feeling of walking down the street, surrounded by traffic and other people, can make you feel more involved in the pulse of your city or town. Besides, you may discover something new you didn’t know your town had to offer!

散步時選一條不同于平常去往目的地的道路；最好是隨便選個方向走一走。走在大街上被人群車輛包圍的感覺，能讓你覺得自己和這座城市更加密切相關。而且，你或許還能在自己的城市里發現新奇的事物呢！

2. Join a club

加入俱樂部

Everyone has an interest or passion, and sometimes a fresh point of view can help you enhance your talents or interests in new and surprising ways. Even the smallest town usually has at least some clubs. Maybe you enjoy chess and would like to play with others to sharpen your skills. You could even consider something you’ve never tried before: pottery, writing, wine tasting, or even dancing are all good ways to interact with others and try new things. If your area doesn’t have any clubs that interest you, why not start one of your own? Odds are good that if you have an interest, someone else in the area is likely to share it.

人人都有愛好、激情甚或創意觀點，而這些能通過新奇方式激發你的稟賦或興趣。就算是再小的城市也會有幾個俱樂部。或許你喜歡下棋，希望找人一起切磋技藝；你還可以考慮以前從不曾嘗試的玩意兒：陶藝、寫作、品酒或跳舞都是與人接觸并學習新事物的好辦法。如果附近沒有你感興趣的俱樂部，那何不自己創辦一個呢？當你有某個興趣愛好時，或許周邊的人也會被你帶動起來。

3. Talk to people

與人交談

Isolation is a new hallmark of our paradoxically “connected” society. Between texting, Tweeting, Facebooking, email and the phone, people are more connected than ever before. The problem with all these kinds of communication is that they omit the face-to-face element of socialization.

在這個“密切聯系”的社會，“隔離”卻諷刺性地成了一個新標志。隨著短信、推特、臉譜、郵件及電話的普及，人與人之間的聯系前所未有地頻繁密集。但問題是，所有這些通訊方式都忽略了社交中的“面對面接觸”元素。

This can lead to situations like someone observing, “I have 6,000 friends on Facebook, 4,822 Twitter followers, and who knows how many people watching me on social media…and I don’t have one person I can call to go out for the night!” Try getting out and talking to your neighbors, the cashier at the convenience store, or even total strangers. Ask questions and listen carefully to the answers. This is a great way to make new connections, or maybe meet people who share your interests and hobbies.

這就造成了類似情景：“我在臉譜網上有6000位好友、推特網上有4822個粉絲，而且無數人都能在社交媒體上看到我……可當我晚上想要出去玩時，竟然沒有一個能夠叫上一起去的人！” 因此，請走出去主動和鄰居、便利店收銀員甚至陌生人講講話吧。問幾個問題并認真聽對方解答。這是建立新聯系或認識志同道合朋友的好方法。

4. Go to the coffee shop

去咖啡店

These days you can’t throw a rock without hitting a coffee shop, especially in the larger cities. Coffee shops are a great place to meet people and make contacts. As with any other social situation, it’s not enough simply to sit there sipping on your venti mochachocafrappalottaccino with half-fat soy and extra espresso. Compliment someone on their purse, their shoes, their tie, or even their laptop. A compliment is a good way to start up a conversation and might just make you a new friend.

現如今，尤其是在大城市，你隨便扔塊石頭就能砸中一家咖啡店。咖啡店是結識朋友的好地方。正如其他社交場合一樣，你不能只坐在那兒純粹喝咖啡，夸兩句別人的包包、鞋子、領帶或電腦本吧。一句贊美的話就是開始交談甚至結識新朋友的好辦法。