It allows you to get to know yourself. When you are surrounded by others, you might set your own ideas and passions aside in order to appease the wants and needs of friends and family. Taking time on your own gives you a critical opportunity to make creative choices and focus your attention without worrying about what other people are thinking.
Collaborative brainstorming is often seen as one of the best ways to generate new ideas, but research has found that people are often better at solving difficult problems when they work on their own. Where group efforts are often about achieving consensus and fitting in with the crowd, solo work encourages innovation without added social pressure. Relationships are often strongest when each person takes time to take care of themselves. Even when it comes to friendships, the old adage may be true—a little absence might really make the heart grow fonder.
One study published in the British Journal of Psychology found that highly intelligent people actually become less satisfied the more time they spend socializing with friends.
Having friendships and a strong social support system is important for your mental health and well-being, but taking a break and going it solo once in a while may help you appreciate those connections all the more. Group work is often lauded for improving collaboration and innovation, but it can also be distracting. Even trying to focus on more than one thing at a time has been shown to dramatically reduce overall productivity. Research suggests that a certain amount of alone-time can actually help you have greater empathy for the people around you.
Even when you are by yourself, you may never take a break from communicating with others. Even in cases where you are not able to get time completely by yourself, cutting back on digital communication for a brief time might be helpful. In one study , researchers found that when teens went five days without communication devices, they improved their ability to interpret emotions and facial expressions.
Just be careful not to let periods of solitude turn into social isolation— research has found that loneliness is linked to decreased empathy. If you are used to surrounding yourself with friends and family or even prefer the company of strangers, learning to appreciate the joys of going solo may take some time. One fascinating study found that participants would rather engage in mundane tasks or even administer electrical shocks to themselves rather than spend 6 to 15 minutes alone in a room with nothing to do but think.
In the study, participants much preferred to spend their time engaged in mundane tasks rather than being left to their own thoughts. The researchers concluded that most people would rather be doing something—even something negative—than sit and do nothing.
The key is to engage in activities that allow you to feel a sense of inner solitude. Some people can achieve this feeling while listening to music or reading a book, while others might require the quiet of a peaceful session of meditation. Find what works for you, then make sure that you have regular moments where you can retreat to this quiet mental space. Whether you are an introvert who thrives on solitude or a gregarious extrovert who loves to socialize, a little high-quality time to yourself can be good for your overall well-being.
The trick is to remember that this alone time is for focusing on you—for cultivating your passions, finding new inspirations, getting to know yourself better, or even engaging in some much-needed rest and relaxation.
Even when you are busy, pencil in a little time each week for some moments of seclusion. Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life. Trait empathy as a predictor of individual differences in perceived loneliness. Psychol Rep. Holt-Lunstad, J, et al. Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for mortality: A meta-analytic review.
Perspectives on Psychological Science. Kavadias, S, and Sommer, SC. The effects of problem structure and team diversity on brainstorming effectiveness. Management Science. Li, NP, and Kanazawa, S. Country roads, take me home British Journal of Psychology. Marion, SB, and Thorley, C. A meta-analytic review of collaborative inhibition and postcollaborative memory: Testing the predictions of the retrieval strategy disruption hypothesis.
Psychological Bulletin. Five days at outdoor education camp without screens improves preteen skills with nonverbal emotion cues. Computers in Human Behavior. There's a fine line between staying in on a Friday night and avoiding social engagements for an entire weekend. While sometimes the body needs rest and solo time, having a social network boosts well-being, and your mind and body can negatively react to not socializing for more than a day at time.
It's totally fine to be an introvert, where you're shyer and value alone time more than others, but if you're anxious about being around others or you isolate yourself too much, it might lead to loneliness and a worsened quality of life. As a certified health coach , I work with clients on finding a healthy, happy balance between work and play, and between alone time and social engagements. According to healthy lifestyle coach Liz Traines over email with Bustle, having a great network of friends and family can boost happiness and health, and it can make you feel more connected to the world at large.
When you don't make time for social commitments, it's hard to foster deeper connections with people, and you're at risk of missing out on some really memorable moments and good fun. When you avoid social occasions too often over time, your mind and body can negatively react to the isolation. Here are 11 things that happen to your body and mind if you don't socialize for more than a day. Shaw says that depression can be associated with isolating yourself and not socializing for more than a day at a time.
This raises your risk of chronic diseases and can leave a person more vulnerable to some infectious diseases. Social isolation and loneliness may also be bad for brain health. Loneliness and social isolation have been linked to poorer cognitive function and higher risk for dementia , including and especially for Alzheimer's disease.
Also, little social activity and being alone most of the time may contribute to a decline in the ability to perform everyday tasks such as driving, paying bills, taking medicine, and cooking. Those who find themselves unexpectedly isolated due to the illness of a loved one, separation from friends or family, loss of mobility, worsening vision or hearing problems, disability, or lack of mobility or access to transportation, are at particular risk of loneliness and social isolation.
People with hearing loss may find it hard to have conversations with friends and family, which can lead to less interaction with people, social isolation, and higher rates of loneliness. There are things you can do to help protect yourself or a loved one from the negative effects of loneliness and social isolation. Try exercising, eating healthy, getting enough sleep 7 to 9 hours , and pursuing activities you enjoy to help manage stress and stay as mentally and physically healthy as possible.
People who engage in meaningful, productive activities they enjoy with others feel a sense of purpose and tend to live longer. For example, helping others through volunteering helps you feel less lonely and allows you to have a sense of mission and purpose in life, which is linked to better health.
Studies show activities like these may help boost your mood and improve your well-being and cognitive function. Here are some other ideas to help you stay connected. Read about this topic in Spanish. ADEAR Center staff answer telephone, email, and written requests and make referrals to local and national resources.
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