People feel more authentic when they are alone than when they are with other people. Those who are drawn to solo living for positive reasons are unlikely to feel lonely. They are not afraid of having time to themselves; they flourish in solitude.
"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."
Many studies have pointed out that living alone can have a significant effect on mental health. It can trigger symptoms of depression and other mental conditions the longer a person lives alone.
For some people, living alone is what they need, and so when it happens, they feel at peace with their situation and themselves. This doesn't mean it comes easily or naturally to people to start with. Some people regard living on your own as somehow less of a lifestyle choice than living with someone else.
People describe thoughts and feelings of loneliness with words like anxiety, fear, shame and helplessness. These powerful emotions can influence how we act. They can create a downward spiral where loneliness causes someone to withdraw further from family and friends and so become lonelier.
There are different types of loneliness: emotional, and social and existential loneliness.
Personality traits related differently to loneliness depending on gender. Among women, loneliness was associated with higher levels of agreeableness. Among men, loneliness was associated with lower levels of agreeableness, lower levels of conscientiousness, and higher levels of neuroticism.
Introverts can also sometimes be considered loners. These are people who enjoy time alone, not necessarily because they don't like being around other people, but rather because they are more interested in their own inner thoughts and feelings. Spending quality time by themselves is how they are able to regain energy.
Safety & sickness. Problem: Being sick, having an accident, or dealing with a break in when you're alone can be really scary. In terms of problems you face only when you live alone, this is one that people talk about most. In reality, it's very rare for anything serious to happen without someone being able to get help.
hermit. noun. someone who chooses to live alone or spend most of their time alone.
People become more satisfied with being single around age 40. There's a common misconception that older singles are the least happy with their relationship status. But actually, MacDonald's research suggests that starting around age 40, singletons become more satisfied with their solo lives.
Living alone may be harmful to one's mental health, especially among older people. Previous research has found that persons who live alone have poorer mental health and a lower quality of life than those who live with others. Additionally, loneliness can contribute to depression (8).
Loneliness raises levels of stress hormones and blood pressure. It undermines regulation of the circulatory system so that the heart muscle works harder and the blood vessels are subject to damage by blood flow turbulence.
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.
People placed in isolation may also experience hallucinations. The lack of stimuli causes people to misattribute internal thoughts and feelings as occurring in the outer environment. Essentially, hallucinations happen because of a lack of brain stimulation.
Stay connected.
Set aside time to be with loved ones on the phone, by video chat or email. Share your concerns and how you are feeling. If you have friends, family or neighbors also living alone, stay in touch to help them too.
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.
Highly intelligent individuals may find that being alone provides a space to focus on their thoughts and ideas without distraction, allowing them to explore creative solutions, gain deeper insight and analyze their thought patterns more deeply.
“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.
Loving a Loner: Bonding Within Boundaries
Apparently, it is possible to have a healthy, wholesome, happy relationship with a loner—who values spending (some of their) time alone.
It's characterized by constant and unrelenting feelings of being alone, separated or divided from others, and an inability to connect on a deeper level. It can also be accompanied by deeply rooted feelings of self-doubt, low self-esteem, or social anxiety.
While the younger group's personalities remained more or less the same overall, the older group's personality traits begin to shift, so that on average, they became less open and extraverted, as well as less agreeable and conscientious.
Older adults are at increased risk for loneliness and social isolation because they are more likely to face factors such as living alone, the loss of family or friends, chronic illness, and hearing loss. Loneliness is the feeling of being alone, regardless of the amount of social contact.