I was an extremely anxious kid growing up, and one of the scariest experiences for me was having to go to middle school and not have the option to come home for lunch. I know it seems silly, but I literally had a stomach ache for months leading up to it. One of the best pieces of advice I got was from my older sister, she told me “whenever you feel alone at lunch or in a class, and you don’t know what to do, find another person who is alone. Talk with them, chances are they’re looking for a friend just as much as you are.”
This ended up helping me throughout middle and high school, and I even still use it to this day. I’ve made friends this way, and survived very anxious situations for myself with that advice. Humans are social creatures, nobody wants to be alone or feel lonely. Friendliness is a universal language, and sometimes it may just be the only light someone has in that day. Next time you see someone constantly alone at work, in class, at events, etc try reaching out, make small talk, or even just smile at them. You never know if you’ll make a friend, help yourself feel less alone, or even save them from their own darkness.
