London is known for being a lonely city and there are countless resources on how to combat it. The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated this and according to the ONS, 7.2 per cent of UK adults felt lonely 'often' or 'always' between October 2020 and February 2021.

And now a 31-year-old Londoner has reached out for help on Reddit. She wrote: "I live alone, currently single after a long-term relationship ended last year. I have a few friends in London from uni and work whom I hang out with occasionally on weekends. In terms of hobbies, I generally like 'alone' activities - reading, writing, exercise. Haven't joined any clubs or groups in London.

"Maybe it's the lack of good (or any) dates recently or maybe it's because I haven't seen my family for a while because of Covid, but I've been feeling so, so lonely in London recently. I feel it's hard to connect with people and sometimes I don't even know if there's a purpose. A lot of life feels like work-home-occasionally see friends and I'm starting to feel dead inside. I don't know if it's because I'm feeling painfully single and whether a relationship is the end solution to all this. Does anyone else feel intractably lonely in London?"

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And the replies quickly flooded in as people suggested ways to help. Some people commented that they were in the same situation: "I unfortunately don't have any advice, just wanted to say I feel this way as well," one said.

Another person wrote: "I feel exactly the same. I live alone, work from home, and the new work from home dynamic has been terrible for my mental health. Additionally as a gay man I'm finding it particularly tricky to meet someone, as I'm relying on the horrifying world of dating apps which has never been my style, but people have become so introverted in my opinion."

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And there was plenty of advice going around too. "Have you considered getting involved in community stuff? There's loads here. One thing to do is to look for a local nature reserve to get involved with. As well as meeting people, it can help you feel more integrated into your area," one person suggested. Meanwhile, another said: "I’ve found it helpful to reach out to friends of my existing friends and to be honest that I am feeling kinda lonely and could use the company - turns out many of my friends feel the same. Do you work from home often? If you do it might be good to join a coworking space as living and working alone can really get you down."

Other people suggested exercise classes, coffee meetups, going home to see family and joining a club based on shared interests such as book clubs. People also suggested pottery or other art classes, reaching out to old friends and acquaintances and among the hundreds of comments one person left a nugget of wisdom: "I can give you a piece advice that was given to me. The longer you live in London, the easier it gets. It was true. Made more friends along the way. Hope this helps."

Have you struggled with loneliness in the city? Let us know in the comments

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