I'm in my 40s and feel lonely for the first time - here's what I'm doing to get my spark back

Woman looking out onto sunset in garden with trees, representing a connection to nature to learn how to deal with loneliness.

I don't claim to be an expert on how to deal with loneliness. In fact, up until recently, I was someone who loved being in her own company. I was a self-proclaimed introvert who found solitude one of the most rejuvenating things in the world.

Yet, after going through an early menopause and successive bereavements in my family after turning 40, something changed. I was suddenly paying the price of loneliness. I suddenly felt isolated, disconnected from myself, the people I love, and the world, even though my days were full.