You don't have to be on your own to feel lonely.
You can have a partner, a family, people at work and plenty of people you know, but still feel like you haven't really got anyone to talk to or a decent group of mates around you.
And as we get older, friendships can get harder.
People move away. Work gets in the way. Families take priority. Mates drift apart. The people you used to see every week become people you message every few months. Making new mates as an adult isn't always easy either.
Sometimes you don't even realise how isolated you've become until you're already there.
So, what can we actually do about it?
We're mixing things up with our Men Only sessions.
Alongside our regular sessions with Alex Williams and James Elliott, we're bringing in different people from time to time to tackle specific subjects that affect men's mental health.
For this session, Russell Larrett is joining us to look at loneliness, male friendship, and how our connections with other men change as we get older.
We'll look at:
Why male friendships can change as we get older
How loneliness and isolation can creep up on us
Why making new mates as an adult can be difficult
What gets in the way of maintaining the friendships we already have
Why having plenty of people around us doesn't necessarily stop us feeling lonely
Practical things we can do to build and maintain better friendships
This isn't about sitting around being forced to talk about your feelings.
As with all our Men Only sessions, you decide how much you want to get involved. Join the conversation, ask questions or simply turn up and listen. Nobody is going to put you on the spot.
About Russell
Russell Larrett is an ICF-qualified coach and mentor, men's group facilitator and Mental Health First Aider.
He's currently completing a Doctorate in Organisational Change, specialising in masculinity studies. His research and work with men explores men's lives, identity, friendships and some of the things that can make genuine connection with other men more difficult.
Russell has spent the past five years working with men's groups. Before that, he spent more than 20 years working in corporate marketing and sales, including leading teams and developing people.
Who's it for?
Men.
You don't need a mental health diagnosis. You don't need to consider yourself lonely. And you certainly don't need to be good at talking about how you feel.
If you've lost touch with mates, find it harder to make friends as you've got older, sometimes feel isolated despite having people around you, or simply want to understand this stuff a bit better, you're welcome.
It's completely free and for men only.
Details:
Thursday 18:15 to 19:15
Online (Zoom)
Free
Men only (18+)
No pressure. Just turn up and see if it’s useful.