[00:00:00] 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.
[00:00:19] Choosing to be alone, called positive solitude, is linked to less loneliness. But avoiding people out of discomfort is different. That 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're 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's behind it. It's not just the solitude, it's how it feel. Ask yourself this why am I alone right now? 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.
