Importance of Solitude | Sometimes spending time with yourself can be good for you, know what is the importance of solitude

London: Spending time alone can strike fear in many people, and understandably so. At the same time, the distinction between moments of solitude and loneliness is often misunderstood. As a psychologist, I study solitude—the time we spend alone, not interacting with other people. I began this research ten years ago and, up to that time, findings on the amount of time young people were alone suggested that they often felt sad when alone. We usually express happiness in the form of excitement, enthusiasm, and energy in social media, television, or the music we listen to. From that perspective, solitude is often confused with loneliness. In psychology, researchers define loneliness as a distressing feeling that we experience when we do not have the kind of social connection or connection that we hope for. Solitude is different from this. While people’s definition of solitude may differ, interestingly, for many people being secluded doesn’t mean that there is no one around. Instead, many people can and do get lonely even in public places, whether it’s sitting with a cup of tea in a busy cafe or reading a book in a park. And my research shows that taking some time for yourself can help. Can have a positive effect on your daily mood. Many of us have days when things are difficult at work, when things don’t go as expected, or when we feel overwhelmed by something. I’ve found that learning to take some time for yourself, a moment of solitude, can help you deal with these feelings. What can we gain from solitude? In a series of experiments, I brought graduate students into a room to sit quietly with me. In some studies, I took away the students’ bags and devices and asked them to sit with their thoughts; On other occasions, students stayed in the room with books or their phones. After just 15 minutes of being alone, I found that whatever strong emotions the participants were feeling, such as anxiety or excitement, subsided. I concluded that solitude has the ability to reduce people’s arousal levels, which means it may be useful in situations where we feel frustrated, agitated, or angry. Many people may believe that only introverts can enjoy solitude. But while it is true that introverts may prefer to be alone, they are not the only people who can benefit from solitude. In a survey of more than 18,000 adults around the world, more than half voted for solitude as one of the most important activities for relaxation. So, if you’re an extrovert, don’t let that stop you from making time for solitude to calm down. Sitting with your thoughts can be difficult. The challenging part about spending time alone is that it can be boring and lonely at times. Many people find that sitting with their thoughts can be difficult, and they prefer to do something. In fact, forcing yourself to sit and do nothing may make your alone time less enjoyable. So you may prefer to do some sort of activity in your moment of solitude. Read also In my study, I gave participants the option of doing nothing or spending their time sorting hundreds of pencils into boxes. After being asked to be left alone for ten minutes, most participants opted to sort the pencils. This is the kind of activity I thought most people would find boring. However, the choice to do boring tasks stems from a desire to be busy when other people are not around to keep us busy. So, it’s quite normal if you find yourself scrolling through your device every now and then for a few moments of solitude. Don’t be hard on yourself. Many people scroll to cope with stress and boredom. Some people prefer to spend their time alone doing everyday tasks, such as grocery shopping or doing laundry. This is legitimate alone time. Engaging in fun activities alone However, it is interesting that many people shy away from engaging in fun activities alone, such as going to the movies or eating out at a restaurant. This may be because we tend to think of them as activities we do with friends and close people. Traveling alone is another activity that can be intimidating, especially for women. But an important advantage of going alone is the opportunity to be calm, and the freedom to choose what to do and how to do it. In my time studying solitude, I’ve challenged myself to do some of these fun activities in my moments of solitude, and I’ve found the experience liberating. Other women have had similar experiences, especially while traveling, that left them feeling empowered and liberated. To overcome our fear of solitude, we need to recognize its benefits and see it as a positive choice – not something that just happens to us. While traveling alone may be a little much for you right now, taking time out of your busy schedule for a small dose of solitude may be exactly what you need. (agency)