04/15/2019

The Secret Benefit of Being Alone

Research shows that "me time" is a necessity

Often, when we choose to do something by ourselves, we encounter lots of questions and opposition from friends and peers. Being alone is often perceived as negative. Humans are innately social creatures, and when it comes to how we spend our time, we often subconsciously interpret this social tendency as an expectation — of others and of ourselves.

But a growing body of research suggests that solitude actually carries a slew of well-being benefits, from increased self-confidence and creativity to better rest.

“There is such pressure to be social in our culture that we forget that being alone is also necessary for our mental health and well-being,” Margarita Azmitia, Ph.D., a psychology professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, tells Thrive. “The mindfulness movement is an example of how one can use solitude to relieve stress and ‘take a moment’ that results in increased well-being — and we have research evidence of this.”

Please select this link to read the complete article from Thrive Global.