Am I lonely or just alone?
There is a common misconception about being lonely and being alone. The difference between the two lies mainly in the presence, or absence, of connection.
Being lonely means experiencing a disconnection, an incompleteness which causes sadness or pain.
Being alone, on the other hand, is a state of being without the presence of others.
While there are many psychological downsides to loneliness and social isolation, quality time alone can be very important to our well-being
In other words, although loneliness hurts, being alone with ourselves (aloneness) gives us a unique opportunity to use the alone time to our advantage.
Reframing the perception of aloneness
Being alone is not necessarily a negative experience. It can offer rich psychological benefits.
By reframing our perception of being alone, we can choose to focus on the opportunity for our brains to recharge.
If we choose to experience it as a life-affirming state, our aloneness can promote a sense of self-empowerment, self-worth, serenity, and well-being.
Aloneness ‘at work’
If you choose to focus on it, aloneness can be an opportunity to:
- Develop self-awareness
Being alone gives you the opportunity to observe yourself, understand and accept your failings and grow.
- Improve relationships
Alone time can help you care for yourself and become a better friend, spouse, colleague or neighbour.
- Increase performance
When there’s nobody around to interrupt you, you can focus on anything you’ve postponed for a long time such as planning your new project or organising your photo collection.
- Boost creativity
What better opportunity to let creativity flow! Take a photography course, start a blog or learn a new language.
What about you?
What are your thoughts about aloneness?
If you are experiencing aloneness, is it a conscious choice, or related to loneliness?
What could be, in your opinion, other benefits of being alone?
How do you feel when you are alone?
How does your body react to the possibility of social interaction?
How do you feel when you are around others?
If you feel you can’t be around others, what do you think would happen if others saw the ‘real’ you?
Does time spent alone keep you from living a happy life?
If you would like to share your thoughts or experience of alone time, we’d love to hear from you.
Feel free to drop us a line at: info@emotionsreframed.com
