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Most teenagers enjoy spending time with their friends and family, they often put effort into how to make new friends, maintaining relationships, or engaging more in activities. However, while enjoying the time spent with others and sharing memories, there are also benefits to spending some time alone. Sure, human interactions are essential in maintaining our social health, but loneliness is also necessary to keep our mental health balanced. Alone time creates an opportunity to acknowledge our feelings and ideas or reflecting our current lifestyle and recognize what makes us happy and what did not. Below are some of the signs that you should spend some time alone and reasons why you should spend some time alone (The Jed Foundation).
Signs you need alone time (Greer, 2021) :
Feeling overwhelmed, short-tempered, or burned out
Attempting to turn down social events
Get annoyed or irritated by people
Feeling anxious around people
If you feel like you are experiencing any of the above emotions or actions, it’s might be better for you to spend some time alone and regather yourself. Find a comfortable space that’s quiet and private so you can feel less self-conscious. It’s important to focus on your own mental health first than anything!
Reasons why alone time is benefiting you (Morin, 2022):
1. Solitude time increases empathy
When you spend time with a certain amount of people for a long time, such as your close friends and your family, it’s easy to develop the mindset of “we” and the difference of another group of people that may not fit into your group. Alone time can make you become more compassionate and understanding of the difference between you and other people.
2. Alone time increases productivity and creativity
Ever wonder why a lot of students, authors, or even artists like to spend time alone, whether in a coffee shop or in nature? That’s because being alone can give your brain a moment to concentrate and think more, which is good for sparking creativity. Studies also showed that although having people to work with can increase the chances of communication and ideas exchanging, it also kills productivity due to constant talking.
3. Alone time is great for charging the social battery and mental strength
Although it’s important to spend time socializing and developing connections, studies showed that alone time is good for keeping yourself less depressed. Those who are easily burned out, such as people with social anxiety or those who are just genuinely introverted, often require more alone time to relax their nerves. (Villines, 2022) Research also said that alone time can easily improve one’s stress management and increase happiness.
4. Solitude can help you know more about yourself and plan for the future
Learning to spend time alone is always learning how to be comfortable with your own skin. When you are by yourself, you can learn to make decisions and plans without external influence, it’s a good way to actually know who you are and what you actually want and need. Having a quiet place to plan things by yourself also sparks an opportunity to ensure your purpose and goals.
It’s important to recognize the difference between loneliness and aloneness. Try to find peace and satisfaction when you are having your “me time” with yourself so you could be proactive when spending the time. Creating a comfortable space is the key to becoming a better version of yourself.
Work Cited:
Greer, Julianna. “The Benefits of Alone Time for Mental Health.” Eugene Therapy, 9 Dec. 2021, https://eugenetherapy.com/article/the-benefits-of-alone-time-for-mental-health/.
Morin, Amy. “7 Science-Backed Reasons You Should Spend More Time Alone.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 12 Oct. 2022, https://www.forbes.com/sites/amymorin/2017/08/05/7-science-backed-reasons-you-should-spend-more-time-alone/?sh=2642c4b01b7e.
“The Benefits of Being Alone.” The Jed Foundation, https://jedfoundation.org/set-to-go/the-benefits-of-being-alone/.
Villines, Zawn. “Social Battery: What It Is and How to Recharge It.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 10 May 2022, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/social-battery#vs-social-anxiety.
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