– I thought I was going to be lonely forever, says Annika Sjøli. A little over a year has passed since the moldensar opened her heart, while the tears flowed, unfolding about the feelings she sat with. Feeling of loneliness. But now it has turned around. The feeling is gone, and the situation has completely changed. – What happened? – Sara happened, she says and smiles. Annika Sjøli is deeply grateful that Sara Strande extended a hand. Photo: Remi Sagen / news New friendships You may have seen Annika Sjøli before. At the beginning of May last year, she posted a video on TikTok in which she cried. She felt lonely and didn’t know what to do. That video was also seen by Sara Strande, who sent Annika a message and asked if they should meet. – I knew who Sara was, so I was curious. But I thought she just felt sorry for me – and maybe it was like that at the start, but she has given me a lot of confirmation, and now we are best friends. And Sara was also worried about that; that Annika should not take the message seriously. – I’m glad I sent it. She is fantastic, says Sara. – It doesn’t hurt to send that message The video that Annika published went viral. She even featured in several cases in various mediums, and the response was enormous. – I didn’t know it was going to go viral. People say I’m brave, but it wasn’t my plan for hundreds of thousands of people to see it. She received hundreds of messages from people in the same situation. – It didn’t really surprise me how many people were lonely. It’s sad that it’s like that. Annika encourages others who feel lonely to dare to take the initiative to get to know someone, no matter how scary it is. – If you are from a small town, you often hear things about a person. Dare to put aside your prejudices, take a chance with people and get to know a person on your own – and not based on other people’s opinions, I think that is important. Before Annika Sjøli got the message from Sara, she felt completely alone in the world. Photo: Remi Sagen / news Sara also has a tip for others who want to help someone who is lonely. – There are several people who can take it upon themselves to include and ask. It doesn’t hurt to send that message. You have nothing to lose by it. The worst that can happen is that you don’t get an answer. After Sara extended her hand, and Annika accepted, she is now part of a larger group. A group that is preoccupied with inclusion, according to themselves. – We are a very open group. One is welcome. There is always room for one more, says Sara. – It’s never too full, adds Annika. Sara Strande and Annika Sjøli have now developed a close friendship. Photo: Remi Sagen / news – Dare to go to an event alone Several surveys that SSB analysis has looked at show that there is the greatest increase in loneliness among young people and people under the age of 35 who live alone. The increase was particularly large during the corona pandemic. Someone who noticed that many people felt lonely in the Ålesund area and chose to take action is Maiken Aas. She is responsible for events at the restaurant and outdoor venue T2. – I have also experienced being lonely myself, and then I thought that I have a golden opportunity to do something about this, she says. Maiken Aas, events manager at T2 in Ålesund, wanted to help others who were lonely and decided to organize speedfriending. Photo: Remi Sagen / news Aas decided to organize speedfriending, something that was such a great success that it has become a regular thing. Next time is 1 June. – If you have a hobby or something you like, you can get involved in it to gain a network. Or just try something new. Actually daring to go to an event alone – I think that’s important. She herself has seen several people who have come to concerts and other events alone, but who have found others to hang out with there. – Only one has the power to do something with loneliness. I felt it myself when I was lonely, how scary it was to break the comfort zone and do something about it. But you have to show initiative on your own for it to get better, she says.
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Annika Sjøli from Molde shared about loneliness on Tiktok, got a best friend
