#687 - Alone or Lonely
Why does being alone sometimes feel good and other times feel lonely? Researchers in China studied 600 college students to understand how different types of solitude relate to mental health. They measured solitude behaviors, fear of missing out, and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress using standardized self-report scales.
Results? Choosing to be alone, called positive solitude, is linked to less loneliness. But avoiding people out of discomfort is different. That avoidance kind of solitude connects to more loneliness and more distress.
This is interesting. Fear of missing out becomes the link to mental health challenges. When people feel disconnected or avoid social interaction, they start to feel like they鈥檙e missing out, and that feeling increases depression, anxiety, and stress.
How can we use this idea? If you enjoy time alone, that can be positive. But if that time comes from feeling disconnected or by avoiding others, it is worth investigating what鈥檚 behind it. It鈥檚 not just the solitude, it鈥檚 how it feels. Ask yourself this question: 鈥淲hy am I alone right now?鈥 If you avoid people due to stress, then seek help to manage this with a mental health professional to learn skills to feel more at ease around others.
Written by Kristin M. Harris, Ph.D.