By: Lauren Dawes We all know being lonely can be bad for your health, but did you know spending time with yourself can be really good for you? Having time to yourself improves your relationships, boosts creativity and confidence and helps to regulate your emotions. Our minds are designed to engage in the world around us, even when we’re alone we find a way to focus on the outside world. Most restful things our bodies do are done solo and our bodies crave time alone. Sometimes we don’t even realize when we need time alone to feel better.
Enjoying alone time doesn’t correlate to being an introvert or an extrovert, everyone can benefit from alone time. Time alone helps us to discover new ideas without the influence of anyone else. Making the choice to be alone can also help to develop who you are, help you develop your sense of self and show you what your true interests are. Teens are less self-conscious when they are alone and it can help them to re-evaluate “filler” relationships. “Filler” relationships are friendships that you keep only because you’d rather do something than do nothing by yourself even if it’s with people that you don’t enjoy being around. People often mix up spending time alone with a negative feeling of loneliness. We should appreciate the time by ourselves which would prevent us from thinking that it’s a negative thing to be alone. People often forget that solitude can be a choice. Worrying too much about other people watching us can stop us from doing things that make us happy. Some people think being alone and being able to just think about anything can sometimes feel intimidating. You may feel like you have no one else to rely on when you’re by yourself. Studies have shown that when you’re by yourself the lack of stimuli can make you feel uncomfortable. A psychologist at the University of Virginia, Timothy Wilson, did a study with the results finding that doing something is better than doing nothing for most people. He found that most people aren’t comfortable in their own heads. The study revealed that most people would rather be doing something than to be doing nothing, even if that something is hurting themselves. One quarter of the women, and two-thirds of the men who participated in the study preferred to subject themselves to an electric shock instead of doing nothing and spending time alone! People don’t want to sit alone with their thoughts, many participants would rather listen to music, or use their phone. The study asked participants to be alone for 6-15 minutes. When in a room without their electronics or books, etc, they had to entertain themselves with their thoughts. Participants found it difficult to concentrate and their minds wandered. Many people stated they would rather do an unpleasant activity than nothing at all. This study concluded that smartphones might play a part in people's desire to always have something to do. People don’t like to disengage from the world and be alone. Being alone and being lonely are two very different things. Taking time for yourself to think, to rest your mind and do nothing, can be very healthy for all other aspects of your life. Some people find it very difficult to spend time alone. We live in a world where many things are competing for our attention, but sometimes we have to turn off all of the electronics and noise and pay attention to our own needs and thoughts. Higgs, M. M. (2019, October 29). Why You Should Find Time to Be Alone With Yourself. Retrieved November 20, 2019, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/28/smarter-living/the-benefits-of-being-alone.html. Image: https://www.google.com/search?q=spending+time+alone&safe=active&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj_jcrFlIPmAhUPJt8KHcEGA8EQ_AUoAXoECBAQAw&biw=1366&bih=581#imgrc=_
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Ms. Carrigan's Psych ClassWe have been reading articles about psychological studies to inform the way we live our lives. Please explore, and we hope you learn a bit about the psychology in your life! Categories
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