How to fight solitude in summer: 5 tips against relational poverty

THE’summer It is often synonymous with rest, party and moments of company in which it is granted to forget your daily difficulties. But this is not the case for everyone: in some cases, the summer also brings with it a emotional vacuum Which can precipitate in a spiral of solitude and amplify a sense of lack that makes it difficult to feel good in the midst of others.

For the little ones, the End of schools it means losing everyday life with classmates, while for adults the arrival of vacation on the one hand it may represent the opportunity to rest and spend time with the family, but on the other it can mean the exacerbation of a profound solitude. For families who cannot afford even a few days of vacation, the sense of abandonment is amplified, in particular for those who do not have a network of stable affections with which to share the days.

Feel alone It is one of the most common forms of poverty And nourishing authentic ties is a challenge. According to data from Telephone friend Italy In the 2024 There have been 110 thousand requests for help And 22 thousand hours of listening.

Taking advantage of the experience gained, the experts of Antonian share 5 tips to nourish authentic ties and fight relational povertyeven in summer.

A real meeting: invite someone

In an era in which we tend to tell in a chat so much of yourself and what happens in one’s lives, the real revolution is to transform a virtual encounter into A real invitation. Summer is a time when you often have more free time and, therefore, it can be an opportunity for activities in company: a dinner organized with little notice, a coffee or a walk together are concrete meeting occasionsin which the word acquires more value than an exchange of written messages. To this is added the possibility of sharing – perhaps also using the same digital channels, which thus become a way to aggregate people – A map of the summer welcome: the exchange of suggestions on the places of the city that offer company, social life or shelter from the heat, represents a concrete community act. The creation of this network of information thus becomes a powerful way to make sure that nobody feels alone and to transform common spaces such as libraries, shaded parks, cultural centers or speakers into real meetings.

The first gesture of empathy: to listen

Communicate It is a term full of meaning that does not only indicate the expressing and listening to it absently the words of family, friends or acquaintances. In a society that pushes more and more human beings to indifference, theAttention is the first gesture of empathy Towards the other: ask someone “how are you?”, Fabling on the meaning of this question, manifests the intention of listening to listening, even before it tells something about itself.

Offer your time: a precious gift

The shared is a precious gift And it can also be offered to those who are not usually in their tour of friends through the volunteeringan experience that enriches and creates a link between people. And in a moment of the year when you can feel very alone, creating interactions helps to shift attention to the other: a simple gesture, how to have a chat with your neighbor, provides new stimuli and makes new interests discover. In addition, it is a good way to experience teamwork and an opportunity to meet new stories and people.

The city empties: create community moments for those who remain

The social moments are not necessarily linked to the idea of ​​travel and vacation: sometimes it is not possible to leave, but this can be transformed into an opportunity for rediscover the place where you live or to visit a place never seen. There are many people who remain in the city and would be happy to participate in initiatives that involve them: a picnic, a neighborhood dinner or a reading group can become so easily Moments of community who acquire value for those who welcome and who is welcomed.

Feel part of something: together it is better

Those who feel only need to feel part of something: listen a story, give a hug And tending a hand are gestures that bring people closer and make them truly free, with comparisons and social pressures. Every action that brings human beings closer to each other allows to rethink the summer as a new time, because the real holiday is a condition of the spirit that often hides behind simplicity.

Useful numbers

Telephone friend Italy It can be reached through the number 02 2327 2327 and responds 365 days
per year thanks to 600 volunteers. The service is free and active throughout Italy from 9.00 to 24.00.
At the expense of those who call only the living cost of the phone: all those who have tariff plans that provide unlimited minutes do not have to incur any cost, all others incur only the cost of any call to fixed. You can also access the service via Chat, through the WhatsApp 324 011 7252 number, and via email, through the compilation of an anonymous form on the site www.telefonoamico.it.

Auser offers the guide open for Holidays with useful numbers and initiatives. Here the plan of initiatives of the Ministry of Health and Municipalities and Regions.