Written by: Talin Tyvand
Artwork by: Aaron Mun
Oftentimes the common misconception of the dependence on a social circle consumes our attitudes and outlooks on our self-worth. Contradicting this fear, spending sufficient time by oneself, maybe the ultimate key to a self-improvement journey. Although labeled as loneliness, time away from others can facilitate an atmosphere of self-reflection, creativity, and social stigma, and overall guide one down paths for personal exploration.
Despite the label of being lonely, a clear contrast must be discussed between loneliness and alone time. Loneliness is classified as an emotional state, whilst alone time is a social physical state of being around anyone. In 2017, a study conducted by Richard Ryan, a professor at the Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, found that “those who actively choose to be alone experience stress relief and feel more relaxed when they are alone.”
To begin, spending time in a social setting implies the pressure of having to please others that surround us. Alone time is a time to unwind, unaccompanied by the emotions and inputs of others, (Digital). It can act as a refresh button, authorizing your brain to begin the process of thought decomposition and understanding. By establishing a designated time to acknowledge your personal feelings, reactions, and relationships, your social battery is permitted to recharge and future decisions can be guided through deliberate consideration of past ones.
Moving forward, it is repeatedly underestimated the importance of alone time in order to be productive. Fear of being alone institutes made up reasons for ourselves to be with others in order to get work done. But in reality, other people are distractions and act as interruptions throughout your line of thought, (Carter). The work inertia that is built up during the process of task completion, can be easily thrown off track at the fault of other people. From that, simply getting back on track would take more willpower to motivate yourself into productivity again.
Backtracking on the fear of missing out, being alone can actually help strengthen relationships with others. By maintaining a strong sense of autonomy, and not solely relying on the actions and outcomes of others, you are actually boosting numerous individual qualities. These qualities, such as empathy and self-awareness (Carter), might otherwise be lost in a continuous social circle. Lone time gives an atmosphere to reflect on whom you want to truly surround yourself, and reflect on the interactions that were made.
In contradiction to this, a common counterclaim recognizes how aloe time may sprout to become the roots of depression. Too much alone time can transform quickly into loneliness and a rabbit hole of consuming and captivating emotions. But that is not to discourage anyone from taking a break from others. Simply put, be aware of the amount of time you spend alone alongside your personal attitudes either as an introvert or an extrovert. Once the balance of those worlds is found, the balance between the gears in our brains will cease to be consumed by degrading habits, leading to a brightly lead future.
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