~Writing Well Wednesday Tip~
If you spend a lot of your time writing,
you may have experienced a sense of loneliness at times.
It can be a frightening feeling. You think something is wrong. You should get out more. You should spend more time with friends.
It’s true that isolation can be bad for you. Several studies have tied it to health problems, including increased risk of infections, dementia, heart disease, and early mortality. But most studies tie these negative effects into one very important thing: whether or not you feel lonely.
In other words, it’s not just being alone that is the problem. It’s if you feel lonely or isolated, and suffer because of those feelings.
If you’re alone and you’re feeling just fine, that’s an entirely different thing.
In fact, if you spend time alone because you enjoy it, that may actually be a sign that you are a creative person.
Study Ties Alone Time to Creativity
For the study, researchers analyzed nearly 300 adults, assessing their motivations for withdrawing from social connections. Did people desire time alone because they feared social interactions, because they were shy, or because they just weren’t feeling sociable? And what did that say about their health and overall well being?
Results showed that “why” you choose to spend time alone is key. People who were shy or avoided social interaction out of fear showed negative signs of loneliness and frustration, and low levels of creativity. Those who just didn’t want to be sociable, however, scored low on signs of loneliness and high on creativity.
“Anxiety-free time spent in solitude may allow for, and foster, creative thinking and work,” the researchers wrote. In other words, if you spend time alone because you enjoy it, you shouldn’t feel badly about it at all. It’s probably good for you and your creative work.
On the other hand, if you find that you’re getting more alone time than you want, you may want to take steps to fix that. Meet some friends for lunch or a walk, or join a group in your community where you can meet new people.
How do you feel when you’re alone? That’s the key to whether it’s a good thing for you or not.
Do you enjoy your alone time?
Sources
Bowker, J. C., Stotsky, M. T., & Etkin, R. G. (2017). How BIS/BAS and psycho-behavioral variables distinguish between social withdrawal subtypes during emerging adulthood. Personality and Individual Differences, 119, 283-288. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2017.07.043
Cornwell, E. Y., & Waite, L. J. (2009). Social Disconnectedness, Perceived Isolation, and Health among Older Adults. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 50(1), 31-48. doi:10.1177/002214650905000103
Ducharme, J. (2018, March 26). Loneliness Can Actually Hurt Your Heart. Here’s Why. Retrieved from http://time.com/5212558/loneliness-social-isolation-heart-health/
Jacobs, T. (2017, November 22). Alone Time Linked to Creativity. Retrieved from https://psmag.com/education/alone-time-linked-to-creativity
I love my alone time and have been arranging more of it lately. I meet friends for lunch from time to time, spend quality time with husband and critters, and occasionally phone or email friends and family who don’t live nearby. I also take interesting classes at our local Senior Center when I spot one on the schedule.
Cutting back, however, on too many coffee dates, conferences and workshops, and meetings has made my life more relaxed and given me more time to think, write, read, and explore painting, music, and photography.