Human beings are for the most part social creatures and need social interactions for physical and emotional health. However, spending time alone is also necessary and also contributes to your mental health and overall wellbeing.
Interacting with others, whilst rewarding, can often cause anxiety and be stressful. Maybe you worry about being judged by others or feel the need to change certain aspects of yourself in order to fit in and be accepted by the group or perhaps you feel compelled to join in and play at Uptown Pokies. It may be that being part of a social world requires this of us. But it also suggests that spending alone time is also important.
The benefits of having some Alone Time
Having some alone times gives you the opportunity to explore your private thoughts and feelings. There are also a number of other benefits:
Time for self-exploration
Time alone allows you the freedom to truly explore your desires and feelings about things without anybody else interfering. You can try out new ideas, increase your knowledge about things that interest you without the fear of being judged by others.
Spending time alone is vital for personal growth. Whilst being with others is good and has its benefits, spending time alone allows you to focus on yourself which is no less important for personal development.
Alone Time promotes creativity
When you spend time alone it gives you the time to explore your passions and be more creative. In social situations you spend time focusing on others. When alone, you can focus on you. There has been research that supports the idea that individuals who choose to spend time alone are also very creative.
A paper published in Nature Communications in 2020 reported that individuals who spend much time alone “led to increased activity in the neural circuits related to imagination.” When people are more isolated the brain, it would seem, goes into overdrive.
Myths about social life and aloneness
Generally, people are not enamored with the idea of living alone. But research shows that many people living alone, enjoy a very full social life. In fact, their social lives are richer than those living with others as sociologist, Eric Klineberg, reported in his book “Going Solo”.
Challenges of living alone
Living alone does have its challenges. For some individuals the idea of being alone is really scary. There are a number of reasons for this:
If you have always been surrounded with people then being alone with your thoughts can be a scary experience and may lead to feelings of detachment.
Without any social stimulation, it forces you to focus more on yourself and look inwards. This can bring up difficult thoughts and feelings that may be hard to deal with and may cause and feelings of anxiety.
The negative attitudes that exist about being alone or living alone, could make people feel uncomfortable and they may see it as something to avoid. According to Marketing Professor Rebecca Ratner from the University of Maryland people will choose not to do some activity they enjoy if they have to do it alone. She goes on to say that “When people do things alone, they enjoy themselves more than they expected. People overestimate the benefits of being with someone else.”
Does personality influence the need for spending time alone
Personality type can also be a factor in determining the amount of alone time you need and how much benefit you will derive from it. For example, extroverts are invigorated by social situations and may find alone time more difficult than, say, introverts who feel energized by alone time. However, everyone can benefit from spending some quality time alone.
The difference between aloneness and loneliness
According to research, loneliness is a growing problem. It is suggested that 25% of all Americans feel lonely a lot of the time. We know that loneliness is detrimental for your health; high blood pressure, early cognitive decline, higher risk for Alzheimer’s, obesity, depression and other health issues.
However, spending time alone is not to be compared with the negativity of loneliness. Spending time alone can lead to finding joy, creativity and revitalization.
In fact, researchers are now suggesting that alone time is crucial for overall well-being. If you find yourself feeling any of the following, it could be that you need some alone time:
- Frequently losing your patience
- Finding minor things irritate you
- Not interested in joining activities with others
- Feeling constantly overwhelmed
- Difficulty focusing
- Feeling anxious around people
Finding ways to spend time alone
Spending time alone should feel like a positive activity and one that is beneficial to you. Find a time that is convenient for you and let others know that this is your alone time. It might help plan how you are going to spend the time. Perhaps take a stroll. Spending time outdoors, walking in nature, can be revitalizing.
Everyone is different and therefore need different amounts of social and alone time. Each person needs to find the balance that works for them.
Conclusion
Spending some time alone is important for your emotional and physical health. If you feel fearful about spending time alone, start of with short spurts of time and have something specific planned. As you get used to spending time alone, you may find that you begin to enjoy your own company and when you return to your social circle you actually feel energized.
