We were so happy to spend a Christmas evening with the people that have supported each other throughout the year. Divorce is a hard time, but the members of the group know what it means to be grateful that somebody is here to listen to you and understand you. 2017 ended with some big smiles and hugs; that's promising for 2018, right? 

Participating for the 3rd time at the IamExpat Fair in the Hague and I think I am already addicted to it. The preparation, the anticipation, your own stand, the last details with the organisers, the thousands of visitors and the short (or long) talks with some of them, the exhibitors at the next stand, the positive vibe, the "borrel" after the fair is over. 
Until next year, AntiLoneliness has plenty of time to catch up with all the people we met and talked. 
Thank you all for such a wonderful event! 

Adjusting to the needs of the practice for more space due to all the workshops, supports groups and meetings we have, we moved to a bigger space. And we love it: the view, the colours, the space. 
You are more than welcome to visit us and ask your questions on our services! 

The other day I was waiting in the line and I couldn't help overhearing a man explaining to his friend how desperate he is because he cannot find a job for already six months now, here in the Netherlands. His girlfriend is working and he is all day long at home in front of a screen looking for a job. He feels enormous stress and the possibility of him going back to his home country is getting bigger and bigger every day and is making him lose his sleep. I wish I could jump into the conversation and talk with him about this challenge, but that would tell that I was overhearing (oops!). 
However, after that, I decided that: 
The Anti-Loneliness Project offers pro-bono counseling sessions to individuals who are currently out of job & special discounts to students.
If you know anyone who would benefit of this offer, do not hesitate to bring them in contact with us at +31649527633 or [email protected].

We were excited that our workshop in Procrastination on 20/6/2017 was SOLD OUT and that all the participants found it very interesting. Thanks to Dagmar Hopf (www.sevenbirds.eu), who prepared the material and made an amazing presentation! 
A new workgroup is about to start, "End Procrastination, Welcome Success" which aims in dealing with procrastination, time management, anxiety and productivity. If you are interested, sign up here or send an email at [email protected]. Moreover, you can also check our next workshops here. 

Kind regards, 
Vassia Sarantopoulou 
The Anti-Loneliness Project 

The Manifesto of "Loneliness". :-)
Thank you, Andy, for giving me this opportunity to talk about my Project and about Loneliness and how expat life puts extra weight on it. 
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(Andy, by the way, has recently initiated a Podcast website called "Here in Holland" and at the website you can listen to many many interviews from interesting people around Holland and also how expats experience Dutch life).

Enjoy the interview, and please share your thoughts on the comment area. 

It seems like a new, overwhelmingly obsessive trend; all we hear or read about is "How to be happy", "10 ways to be happy", "How to avoid people that are not happy", etc. But what is actually implied is "Try to be happy, because everyone else is happy, except you, and, actually: What's wrong with you?".
As an expat, you might struggle with things like loneliness and happiness. After all, you’re far away from your home country and family. Here are a few tips to help regain your inner peace!
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Read more HERE

While it may seem counter-intuitive due to the nice weather and being able to be outdoors, some people can suffer from an increased sense of loneliness during the summer, especially if you’re an expat far away from your home country and family.
Sometimes in the summer there is an unexpected wave of loneliness that can punch us in the face. It makes us feel awkward, a little bit embarrassed and maybe even a little bit scared of what will come next. 
Read more here

My second time participating as an exhibitor at the IamExpat Fair was -again- an exciting and memorable experience. Not to mention that the whole coordination but also the communication with the organizers was reaching extremely high standards. 

Comparing with the first time that people heard about The Anti-Loneliness Project, this time visitors were more open and less "defensive" to the idea of Loneliness being discussed among them. 

"I'm so glad that this exists", said to me a woman after stopping for a few minutes and talking with me at my stand. 
Some time later, after discussing about Loneliness with a man, he turned to me and admitted that it's so nice when we are allowed to embrace loneliness, before we proceed to any other step in order to defeat it.