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Do you feel you can’t relate to anyone emotionally? Or finding it hard to understand the emotions and reactions of others?
Being understood and socializing are the basic needs of most people. It gets complicated, especially when you feel that you can’t relate to anyone around you. Relating to people around you means understanding what emotions they are experiencing and how to respond to them.
As human beings, you all experience different levels of sentimentality. You can think of a person whom you consider over-emotional and also someone who isn’t. Various emotions and feelings are part of being human. Contributing to someone else’s life and getting to know their journey is how you connect with others and function as a society. But, many of you may not feel the emotional connection strongly like others.
It is a familiar feeling that almost everybody experiences once in their lifetime. Sometimes you may be going through hard times when you feel you can’t relate to anyone. At other times it can be the outcome of a deeper issue that needs to be addressed with the help of a professional. Either way, it is an inherent part of being a human to feel belonged. Every human being feels the need to relate to the person/s around them.
There is likely a reason if you feel like you can’t relate to anyone or don’t fit the places around you,
Reasons: Why Can’t Relate to Anyone?
Here I’m going to explain some reasons:
Not Expressing Yourself
There is a possibility that you may not be expressing your thoughts, passions, and desires in a concise, straightforward way to the people surrounding you. In case you have any specific demands or needs, you must express them to the receptive people clearly.
Communicating clearly about how you feel and what you think can really help you feel welcome and accepted. You must work on your interpersonal and communication skills which can be improved by practicing over and over again.
You are Different from the Norm
If you feel the world around you doesn’t make any sense, you may struggle to relate to the places and persons surrounding you. It isn’t easy to figure out the place you hold in the world when you are constantly pelted from all sides from traditional media, social media, and your coworkers, family, or friends who feel you should see, think and feel things the same way they do.
Not everyone has the same point of view, and that’s completely fine. It involves several different ideas, actions, and perspectives to make the world go around.
Change and Growth with Time
The time flies. The months, years pass by, and times change, people change. It is for the better sometimes and other times for worse. And always remember that family and friends may not always be present consistently in your life. People change as time goes by, and so do you. They will need to live their own individual lives and follow different paths. They may get married, leave for college, or move to a new place for a job or peace of mind.
Whether you like it or not, change is the only constant in this world. Nobody has any option in the matter. You can embrace the change, adapt to it, and move along with it allows you to progress with life instead of resisting the change. There will be a lot of people in the world who will add to your life, and you are going to add to theirs. Just keep moving forward.
The other half of communication is listening and actually hearing what other people have to say. This is an entirely different, unique skill that needs to be developed on its own.
Not Listening to What Others Are Saying
You may not listen to what other people are saying with the intent to understand. There is a difference between hearing and listening. It lacks understanding when you listen to what the person is saying just to reply or impose opinions, thoughts, or beliefs on their word. You may just make assumptions that specific feelings, thoughts, actions, or opinions are backed by different motivations than what others intend to convey. Clear communication takes place when both parties feel understood and can reach common grounds when required.
Experiencing Mental Health Issues
Studies show that one in four persons is living with a mental health concern that has been diagnosed. There are several mental illnesses that involve feeling that you are alone or isolated. Depression, social anxiety, and others can make an individual feel misunderstood and alone in a world full of other individuals.
Fortunately, there are lots of mental health concerns that can be challenged and overcome with the help of therapy. You can learn various ways to reduce and manage your negative thoughts and feel more acceptable to your surroundings. You can always see a professional, recognize the source of such feelings, and find various ways to work on them.
You Are Stuck
Feeling stuck or stagnant can cause frustration giving rise to feelings of loneliness and isolation. The reason behind it could be anything such as not feeling satisfied in your job, a passionless relationship, or feeling you are experiencing a dead end in your career. Besides, if you are an adventure-loving person who wants to feel excited almost all the time, feeling not stimulated or bogged down will make you feel more isolated.
However, sometimes you have to get out of the doldrums and mix up things a little bit. Maybe it is time for a new hobby, travel abroad, or just a short road trip, or changing your profession, anything to break the monotonous life and refresh your life.
Living in Bad Culture Area
Some people feel they do not belong to some areas. It delves into delicate and fragile areas where emotions can get intense. In a predominantly closed-minded population, open-minded individuals may not do fine or well. In fact, if you are acting, dressing, or looking drastically different than the other people of your community, then you are not fitting well socially. Any change in the environment and location of the person you are living closely with may occur. And there is no reason to spend your life unhappy and miserable where you feel unwelcome and ostracized.
It is okay to feel however you want to or who you are, but everyone may not agree with you and should be fine. It is a better thing to move to a place with more agreeable individuals.
How to Relate to Others More
Here we are talking about How to Relate to Others More:
Don’t Let Your Beliefs Isolate You
When your strong belief or value starts coming in the way of you being able to relate to others, you must take a step back. You may feel that it is crucial that anyone who can’t share it possibly can’t understand you. There are several people who have non-negotiable beliefs, and that is fine. They become a matter of concern when they are isolating you. Besides, some values can make you feel that you can’t relate to the people or society around you at all. You do not have to change your beliefs. However, you must need to change your views regarding the people who disagree with you.
Develop Empathy
You must develop the feeling of empathy that you understand what the other person is going through. It is not the same as relating to a person as it does not need you to have a similar experience with them. Rather try to imagine, understand, and feel what they would feel about the situation.
Once you start to understand their feelings, you can relate to them and share them. Empathizing with someone who has gone through some things you can’t relate to help you understand their emotional responses.
Be Honest When You Can’t Relate
If you are struggling to relate to others, it can make you uncomfortable. You might not be able to relate to anyone in your family, your peers at college or work, or your age. The reasonable assumption is that you think you share the same life experiences. But when it comes to relating to others and the world, it becomes more diverse. Just open up to people around you that you feel you should understand and relate to them.
Seek Help
Several mental health concerns can lead you to have difficulty in relating to others, as discussed above. Hence, there are options such as self-care, different ways to alleviate symptoms, and considering professional health to address the concern. Do not hesitate to consult a doctor if you think you can’t relate to others due to some mental issue.
Conclusion
Feelings and emotions are a crucial part of human connection. Some people turn off their emotions to protect themselves and can’t relate to anyone emotionally. Difficulty socializing can be due to several reasons. But, you don’t need to feel isolated and alone. You can overcome these barriers with simple solutions.