How to stop feeling lonely?

Hi, 28F here. How do you guys deal with loneliness?

I am looking for practical advice for getting over feeling lonely.

I don't have any support network, and I need to be able to focus on making a better life for myself, but every night I am overwhelmed by profound loneliness and I barely sleep because of it.

Advice that isn't 'go out and meet people'. I can't suddenly become a social butterfly, I need to stop feeling lonely so I can stop feeling so sad. If I feel sad I will not be able to go out and meet people. My social skills are not great and I have never felt like I fit in anywhere, so i just want to stop feeling lonely, that way I can get on with living and maybe I can make more connections while i am doing all that living I hope to do.

Edit: Thank you for all being so understanding. This post was phrased in a bit of a self-pitying way (likely on account of feeling a fair degree of self-pity right now 😬), so I really value the meaningful and thoughtful responses I have received. I genuinely feel a little better. This has given me some ideas for ways I can improve my life and feel less lonely in 2025. Thank you.