"Loneliness can change the neurochemistry of the brain, turning off the dopamine neurons, which trigger the reward response, and causing some degeneration in the brain when the reward response is not activated," says Katherine Peters, MD, PhD, FAAN, associate professor of neurology and neurosurgery at Duke University.
While social interactions are crucial to certain areas of brain activity, time alone is necessary for our brains to unwind and recharge. Dr. Sherrie Bourg Carter explains, “Constantly being 'on' doesn't give your brain a chance to rest and replenish itself.
"Lacking encouragement from family or friends, those who are lonely may slide into unhealthy habits," Valtorta says. "In addition, loneliness has been found to raise levels of stress, impede sleep and, in turn, harm the body. Loneliness can also augment depression or anxiety."
Loneliness can leave people feeling isolated and disconnected from others. It is a complex state of mind that can be caused by life changes, mental health conditions, poor self-esteem, and personality traits. Loneliness can also have serious health consequences including decreased mental wellness and physical problems.
This time spent alone creates space for you to come up with your own perspectives and ideas and how you think and feel about the things that are happening in your life and relationships. Read on to learn more about how spending time alone actually makes your life more enjoyable and positive.
“Being alone helps you become more comfortable in your own skin,” Morins tells Forbes. “When you're by yourself, you can make choices without outside influences. And that will help you develop more insight into who you are as a person.” Holding this degree of self-awareness and resilience is key to a happier life.
Being alone can help you build mental strength.
We're social creatures, and it's important for us to have strong connections with other people. But solitude is essential to building mental strength.
If you've experienced ongoing feelings of loneliness, it can have negative effects on your physical health. It could lead to weight gain, sleep deprivation, poor heart health, and a weakened immune system. Loneliness can also put your body under more stress than normal.
Some research suggests that loneliness can increase stress. It's also associated with an increased risk of certain mental health problems. For example, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and sleep problems. My anxiety and depression isolates me from people and stops me from being able to do the things I'd like to do.
NEGATIVE EFFECTS
Loneliness and social isolation are also associated with increased blood pressure, higher cholesterol levels, depression and, if that weren't bad enough, decreases in cognitive abilities and Alzheimer's disease. Humans evolved to be around others.
Poor social skills often lead to stress and loneliness, which can negatively affect physical as well as mental health.
Experts recommend getting 20-30 minutes of alone time every day. This doesn't necessarily mean you have to leave the house and go somewhere on your own—you might sit at the table and drink a cup of coffee by yourself, or bring a book to bed and read it on your own.
It can also push into overthinking mode
Loneliness can make you an overthinker, leading to unsavoury feelings like anxiousness, aggression, and irritability.
A brain imaging study showed that feeling ostracized actually activates our neural pain matrix. In fact, several studies show that ostracizing others hurts us as much as being ostracized ourselves. We can hypothesize that, similarly, loneliness is associated with the pain matrix.
A person who is socially isolated is approximately 50% more likely to get dementia. Loneliness can disrupt sleep, raise blood pressure, and increase stress levels. A person who is socially isolated, has poor social relationships, or is lonely has a 32% increased risk of stroke and a 29% increased risk of heart disease.
What happens to your body when you're lonely? “When you're experiencing loneliness, your levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, go up,” she says. “Cortisol can impair cognitive performance, compromise the immune system, and increase your risk for vascular problems, inflammation and heart disease.”
Don't dismiss someone's feelings of loneliness.
Even if they seem like the strongest, most extraverted and friendly person you know, they still may feel alone and disconnected. Statements such as “But you have so many friends” or “I wish I was lonely – I am just so busy” may make feelings of self-doubt worse.
"One of the best things to do for loneliness is to begin to build a better social network. Community organizations, religious groups, and social groups around shared interest provide wonderful ways to connect with others."
Living alone can be very peaceful because there are no disagreements. When you live alone you don't have to compromise to fit in with someone else. No-one else's choices or biases come into play. You don't need to fit into anyone else's timetable.
Living alone gives you the opportunity to explore your true self and develop a sense of being comfortable in your own skin. This might be the simple act of being comfortable in your own company. Or being able to spot what triggers negative feelings and (most importantly) what you can do to counteract them.
The upshot is that while alone time has many physical, emotional and spiritual benefits when enjoyed in moderation, spending too much time alone can damage the mind and body. We function best when there's a balance, when we spend healthy time alone, and at the same time nurture our close relationships.
Introverts rely on alone time to recharge their social batteries, self-reflect, and process the experiences they have with others. Without proper amounts of alone time, introverts can begin to experience irritability, fatigue, poor sleep, and trouble concentrating.