There are many benefits of being alone and it’s not always a bad thing for both extroverts and introverts whether it comes to relationships or not. Even some extroverts need to recharge their social battery after a long period of time from interacting and engaging with people. Extroversion is also normalized compared to introversion. The human nature is habitually associated to being “social butterflies.” We’re expected to find a partner to work with in class, cooperating with coworkers, or befriending an individual. In fact, being alone is both a curse and a blessing for anyone to possess. There’s nothing wrong with valuing solitary when it comes to different relationships as long as they respect your boundaries. However, it’s important to choose your time wisely with the people around you.
Depending on your state of mind, there are days when you want to be alone or have someone accompany you. If you’re the type that prefers solitary, you may get seen as “weird” or “psycho” and if you’re the type that craves social activity—you may get seen as “needy” or “clingy.” In this generation, we’re never going to be perfect or fulfill society’s expectations anyways so feel free to live your life how you please and be the prominent version of yourselves. As individuals, we can be indecisive and unaware in certain situations. Whether you enjoy being alone or not, focus on how being alone or being around others is making an impact in your life and how your mental health is contributing. Being alone doesn’t necessarily make you a loner wolf. There’s a difference between feeling lonely and being alone. When you feel lonely, you’re missing a connection from someone emotionally. When you’re alone, you’re by yourself and can find your inner peace physically.
What are the reasons for someone to be alone? The reasons are by far endless. Sometimes people want to be alone because they like to enjoy their own space without being bothered and find it more peaceful that way. Sometimes people want to be alone because they’ve already lost many people in their lives that they decided it’s best to be alone in order to prevent themselves from perpetually getting hurt. Sometimes people want to be alone because of social anxiety or shyness that holds them back. Sometimes people want to be alone because they’re confident enough to only rely on themselves without assistance and the list goes on. Whatever the reason is, it’s okay to be alone but not okay to feel isolated or disconnected. As long as you’re capable of being alone, you’re bound to grow a healthy relationship with yourself and others.
Pros of being alone
Has less distractions
You don’t have to worry about anyone barging into your space unless they try to. Being alone gives you the perfect opportunity to thrive on your productivity when you’re in a peaceful environment. You can concentrate on getting your priorities straight and managing your time efficiently. Having less distractions can even get you more things done on time without procrastinating.
Enhances creativity
Do you ever manage to somehow be good at drawing when you’re sitting down in a boring classroom or lecture versus being in an art class? That’s almost how it is when you’re alone, because you start to become more innovative in odd ways. You’re constantly learning, finding solutions, and developing as a problem solver.
Being alone is a positive way to enable your reflective thinking by gaining many new ideas and perspectives that can eventuate into something creative. It gives you more time and space to build your craft in the comfort of your zone as well as flourishing your versatility, which makes life more entertaining.
Allows you to find yourself
As human beings, many of us crave acceptance and admiration then pretend to be someone we’re not. You can’t find yourself if you’re constantly lost in the crowd. Being alone helps you realize that there’s nothing wrong of standing out from the crowd and being unique. You’ll start to discover and fully get to know yourself more. Imagine how boring life would be if we were all the same, so it’s okay to be you and meet people that differ from you. That’s what makes life beautiful, fun, and full of excitement.
Helps prioritize quality over quantity
Having more quantity of something doesn’t always necessarily mean it’s valuable or worthwhile, especially if you value quality friendships over a large group of friends for example. When you’re alone, you tend to analyze carefully how important quality means to you that will affect your life. No matter who you are as a person, sometimes it’s not all about the materialistic things you have but the significant things in life that matter and value the most.
Can develop independence skills
Even though you may need a helping hand from time to time, you can become more independent on your own instead of having someone take over control of your life. You have a better chance of learning new things individually and gaining new skills naturally to become the person that you desire. Once you enjoy being independent, you’ll also become more comfortable in your skin to make your own decisions.
Cons of being alone
May lead to depression
There’s nothing wrong with being your own best friend, but it’s also important to have your own support system whether it just be a few close family and friends. Your support system is the one where you can always count on and get help from when something happens. Staying isolated for too long can have a big impact on your depression and anxiety if left untreated. It doesn’t matter if someone you know avoids contact, it’s always important to check on them frequently.
Can increase suicidal thoughts
Sometimes being alone can turn into loneliness that makes you feel worthless, demoralized, or hopeless. You feel like you’re not loved, cared for, and don’t belong into this world. You may have trouble opening up your feelings to others that can also play a big role on loneliness. The dangers of being alone can do you more harm than good.
Makes you more prone to overthinking
As peaceful as it is being alone, that’s not always the case if you end up drowning in your own thoughts. When you’re alone, your mind freely ambles however it wants to. You go from being relaxed to remembering something embarrassing you’ve done in the past and then beating yourself up. To protect your mind, force yourself to get distracted by picking up activities you enjoy.
Increases the likelihood of boredom
Of course you can have fun doing things on your own, but it could also get boring without having friends you want to do something spontaneous with or a lover that’ll bring some spice into your life. You could get tired of doing the same repetitive things everyday and urge for something new. You might need a pet to keep you occupied so that you don’t feel too out of touch with reality.
Has the capability to deteriorate your mental and physical health
There are factors that can have a negative impact on your emotional and physical health from isolation such as; higher risk of smoking, drinking alcohol, doing drugs, self-harming, and other psychological disorders. These particular conditions can most certainly accumulate unhealthy addictions and habits that’ll drain you out. In order to prevent different illnesses, it’s always best to seek care from your local services as much as possible.
So is it better to be alone?
Being alone can come with many advantages just as much as other disadvantages depending on how an individual perceives solitary and how they handle it. If you’re someone that feeds off company around you, then being alone may not be the best option since it can generate a higher risk of depression. But if you’re someone that enjoys solitary in a healthy way, then being alone is perfectly fine. It’s also okay to balance out between solitary and having company around with the right people in moderation.
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