"It too often gets conflated with loneliness, which triggers fears of an epidemic of loneliness, especially among men. Loneliness is worth fretting about, but time spent alone can also be an enriching experience. We now know this with greater certitude than ever before. In recent years, studies of solitude have proliferated. In a new book, Carleton University professor of psychology Robert J. Coplan has surveyed the now vast expanse of research and thinking, and has explained what it all means."
"Whether the time you spend alone is a positive experience or a negative one depends fundamentally on why you are spending time alone. Are you alone because you want to be? Because you find the time you have to yourself to be enjoyable, interesting, and meaningful? Then you are especially likely to reap many of the potential benefits of solitude."
"It is a different story if you are alone because you are avoiding other people or because they are avoiding you. Then you are more likely to feel sad or lonely and to ruminate obsessively about what's going wrong in your life rather than letting your mind wander aimlessly and pleasantly. Solitude can be great in many ways. For example, it can restore and relax you when dealing with negative emotions, and it can foster productivity."
Recent research shows that time alone can be either enriching or harmful depending on its cause and the individual's temperament. Solitude chosen for enjoyment, interest, or meaning tends to provide restoration, relaxation, and increased productivity. Solitude used to avoid others or resulting from social exclusion tends to produce sadness, loneliness, and obsessive rumination. Personality moderates the experience: introverts use solitude to recharge, neurotic individuals use it to process negative feelings, and conscientious people use solitude to focus on tasks. Voluntary solitude aligned with personal needs can foster creativity and well-being; involuntary solitude often undermines mental health.
Read at Psychology Today
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