The Benefits of Solitude
Reported by Kathryn McClintock
Many of us, regardless of what we actually want, have been forced into isolation. Maybe there are still others around us, but we’ve been cut off from a lot of familiar forms of socialization. It’s normal for loneliness to creep in during times like these, but there may be some benefits to solitude. By knowing them, we can turn our solitude into productivity.
A researcher named Larson and his colleagues wrote this about solitude in their theoretical paper about loneliness: “to take advantage of the opportunities afforded by solitude, a person must be able to turn a basically terrifying state of being into a productive one.”
It’s a tall order, but people have been doing it throughout human history. So what are some of the things we can focus on during this period of isolation? Christopher Long and James Averill compiled a list of preliminary studies and theoretical research and have outlined a few ways solitude can help us grow: it gives us freedom from our typical restraints, it fosters creativity, and it can actually improve our relationships.
In our normal day-to-day routine, we can start to go with the flow, and not challenge our ways of thought or behavior. In times of solitude, our schedule gets mixed up. This presents an opportunity for people to make changes in their lives they’ve always wanted to make, or contemplate what it means to be who they are.
It can free us from the image others have of us, and we can really explore what it means to be alive. These questions can be philosophical, and they can be spiritual. Maybe we want to start a prayer journal, or maybe we want to start eating a little bit healthier. Even amid all the chaos, now can be a good time to start those habits.
Perhaps because we are freed from restraints, it’s been found that people can be more creative in solitude. It can be a great time to think about a project you want to do, or come up with new ideas. Even if it’s difficult to put some of those things into action right now, thinking about them can be invigorating. Maybe it’s time for some of us to finish the deck outside or knit a scarf or start a novel.
When people are in solitude, and it becomes a positive experience, it’s been found that they get less neurotic and paranoid as time goes on. They report being more focused and intentional. This can be great for relationships, especially if people have also had time to work through things personally and spiritually during solitude.
Perhaps most importantly, solitude has a long and rich tradition in religion. Researchers Glòria Durà-Vilà and Gerard Leavey studied cloistered nuns and monks to understand their perspective on solitude. Importantly, they acknowledged the hardships of their way of life. While they admitted to suffering in isolation, they remarked that it was in those moments that they found the comfort of God.
The nuns and monks said that listening within themselves and committing themselves to silence helped them hear God. Many cultures practice isolation and meditation in the pursuit of spirituality. At the end of the day, if we aren’t able to turn our solitude into a positive experience, we are still able to receive comfort from God and prayer.