Category: solitude

Here are some recent articles presenting a favorable view of solitude and aloneness.

“Sweet Solitude, Part 1: Two Meanings of Alone,” in Psychology Today.
URL: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/living-single/201103/sweet-solitude-part-1-two-meanings-of-alone

“[Sweet] Solitude, Part 2: The Benefits It Brings, and the Special Strengths of the People Who Enjoy It,” in Psychology Today.
URL: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/living-single/201103/solitude-part-2-the-benefits-it-brings-and-the-special-strengths-the

“How to Design for Solitude,” in Psychology Today. Reminds us that the art of solitude is a skill of observation and deliberate decision-making.
URL: https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/designed-for-happiness/202409/how-to-design-for-solitude

“Spending time alone can change your life,” in America, the Catholic Jesuit magazine; a reliigous perspective on the topic.
URL: https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2024/09/06/alone-reflection-prayer-solitude-248736

“The Beauty of Being Alone,” in TIME Magazine. About well-crafted use of one’s time.
URL: https://time.com/7064919/alone-time-benefits-essay/

from BBC: “Why parents are locking themselves in cells at Korean ‘happiness factory.’
URL: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2x0le06kn7o

from ABC (Australia): “In South Korea thousands of young people have become recluses, shutting themselves away from society.”
URL: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-25/south-korea-recluses-shut-ins/103852712

from CNN: “A shrinking life: Why some Asian youth withdraw from the world.” Includes Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea.
URL: https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2024/05/world/hikikomori-asia-personal-stories-wellness/

from Discover: “Is Hikikomori — an Extreme, Long-Term Form of Social Isolation — a Disease Unto Itself?”
URL: https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/is-hikikomori-an-extreme-long-term-form-of-social-isolation-a-disease-unto

In Psychology Today:

“How to Avoid Feeling Lonely in Later Life.”
URL: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/talking-apes/202407/how-to-avoid-feeling-lonely-in-later-life

“Loneliness Can Occur at Every Life Stage.”
URL: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psychiatrys-think-tank/202408/loneliness-can-occur-at-every-life-stage

“Loneliness and Social Norm Violations.”
URL: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/insight-therapy/202406/loneliness-and-social-norm-violations

in The Conversation:

“Lonely extroverts, happy hermits: why being alone isn’t the same as being lonely – and why it matters.”
URL: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psychiatrys-think-tank/202408/loneliness-can-occur-at-every-life-stage

The Hidden Brain podcast titled “How ro Be Alone” addresses “the case for solitude” in an episode featuring University of Reading psychologist Netta Weinstein, author of the 2024 book Soltude: the Science and Power of Being Alone. Weinstein is director of the European Research Council’s “Solitude: Alone but Resilient” project. She also discusses the topic of solitude on a recent episode of the “Talk Nerdy” podcast.

URLs:
Hidden Brain: https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/how-to-be-alone/;
Talk Nerdy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVTDBGqmLDU

Three treatments of the topic of solitude, from professional sources:

Two essays from Psychology Today:
1. “Why You Should Spend Quality Time With Yourself.” Byline: “The Surprising Ways Solitude Is an Antidote to Loneliness.”
URL: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mindfulness-for-wellbeing/202406/why-you-should-spend-quality-time-with-yourself

2. “The Surprising Ways Solitude Is an Antidote to Loneliness.” Byline:
“Time alone is fleeting in our modern world, but it’s key to social connection.”
URL: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-power-of-belonging/202406/the-surprising-ways-solitude-is-an-antidote-to-loneliness

3. Video-essay (9 min.) from Psychiatric Times:
“The Benefits of Intentional Solitude.” Essay summary: “There is a stigma around being alone. Balancing out social interactions with alone time is important for patients, and clinicians can help them understand the psychological benefits of intermittent, intentional solitude. While everyone must spend some time alone, not all alone time is the same.”
URL: https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/the-benefits-of-intentional-solitude