We’re social creatures, and most of us crave relationships, intimacy, and closeness.
Research has even shown thatsocial connectionsare vital for emotional and physical well-being.
But sometimes, alone time, aka private or solitary time, can also be important.
Verywell / Madelyn Goodnight
Spending time by yourself, at least sometimes, can play a positive role in mental health.
It can also foster self-reflection and personal growth.
Let’s face it: being around other people comes with rewards, but it also createsstress.
Consider it the cost of being part of a social world.
Such challenges demonstrate whyalone time can be so important.
Benefits of Alone Time
Keeping yourself company doesn’t have to be a lonely experience.
Finding time to be alone can also have several key benefits.
Taking some time for yourself allows you to explore these aspects free from the pressures and judgments of others.
Having time to yourself is critical for growth and personal development.
Increased Creativity
Alone time is an opportunity to let your mind wander and strengthen yourcreativity.
Research actually suggests that being alone can lead to changes in the brain that help fuel the creative process.
In a 2020 study published in the journalNature Communications, researchers found that perceivedsocial isolation(a.k.a.
loneliness) led to increased activity in the neural circuits related to imagination.
More Social Energy
Living alone is often portrayed in a negative light.
In his book Going Solo, sociologist Eric Klineberg notes that one in seven U.S. adults lives alone.
Klineberg found that not only were these adults not lonely, many actually had richer social lives.
TheCOVID-19 pandemicdemonstrated both the challenges of loneliness and a lack of solitary time.
Solitude can be challenging for some people for a variety of reasons.
Such findings suggest that a stigma about being alone influences whether people think they enjoy such activities.
“When people do things alone, they enjoy themselves more than they expected,” Ratner explains.
“People overestimate the benefits of being with someone else.”
In other words, contrary to popular belief, introverts don’t enjoy solitude any more than extroverts.
Research suggests that people experience more loneliness now than they have in the past.
There is an abundance of evidence showing thatlonelinesscan have devastating health consequences.
But it is important to remember that being alone doesnt equal loneliness.
Signs You Need Some Alone Time
Recognizing when you need time away from others isnt always easy.
Being alone is most beneficial when it is voluntary.
Feeling like it’s possible for you to return to your social world whenever you like is also essential.
Think aboutthings that you might like to do by yourself, then start doing them alone.
How Much Alone Time Is Healthy?
Each person has differing needs for solitude and social time.
Try finding a balance between the two that works for your unique needs.
Getting Others to Respect Your Alone Time
Finding time to be alone isnt always easy.
Those around you may have different social needs and may not understand your need for solitude.
Family obligations and parenting responsibilities can also make it tough to carve out time for yourself.
After completing this reading, the participants sat alone for 10 minutes.
In each condition, people experienced decreases in both negative and positive feelings.
Nguyen TT, Weinstein N, Ryan R.Who enjoys solitude?
Autonomous functioning (but not introversion) predicts self-determined motivation (but not preference) for solitude.PsyArXiv.2018.
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Cigna.New Cigna study reveals loneliness at epidemic levels in America.
Pruchno R, ed.The Gerontologist.
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