Impact of Loneliness vs. Solitude on Mental Health

The world today is fast-paced and hyper-connected, causing everyone to confuse about being alone with being lonely. These two states, loneliness and solitude, are widely different in their ways in how they affect mental health. Most often, loneliness is associated with negative emotions such as isolation, sadness, and longing for companionship. On the other hand, solitude can be solitude can be a much more peaceful and restorative experience. The distinction between loneliness and solitude can shape one’s emotional well-being in significant ways. 
To ask anyone the word alone, several of the first thoughts that would cross the mind would be loneliness or being lonely. However, there are situations where one is alone and does not even feel lonely. Alone can mean that a person goes out of his or her own free will and gets to spend time alone, relax and be at par with himself or herself. On the other hand, loneliness and especially long-lasting lack of company can be damaging to one’s health both physically and mentally.
It is, therefore, important for someone to distinguish between loneliness and solitude, given that people are shifting towards virtual forms of contact. With that, let us come to understand how these two experiential poles are unfolding differently in terms of mental health and how it is possible to train in solitude as the antidote to loneliness.

What is loneliness?

Loneliness is a socioemotional affliction that arises from having perceived social isolation. You might not be alone today, but when one has no business or special friends, he may feel isolated. The lack of peers to share this lifestyle isn’t a physical isolation so much as an emotional one. These feelings of loneliness can, therefore, result in sad feelings, low self-esteem and anxiety feelings. It becomes somewhat cyclical – loneliness causes people to pull away, and pulling away causes loneliness. 
While people are more connected now than in the past, especially through social media, loneliness is on the rise. It has become increasingly normal to feel ‘aloneness and loneliness’ – being connected to so many and yet feeling isolated. Such virtual connectivity further leads to isolation because most interactions on the internet are impersonal compared to close-up communications. 
No longer is loneliness only a weight on one’s heart, but also one that impacts the health of the mind. One study has pointed out that most people suffer from loneliness, and when the condition is made chronic, it results in depression, anxiety disorders, and cognitive impairment. The longer one has to suffer from loneliness, the greater the chances that one will get helpless, and it becomes really difficult to come out of the state of loneliness, so it becomes really important to diagnose the disease early.

The power of solitude

On the other hand, loneliness is the decision of an individual to avoid spending personal time with other human beings, although they may have companions and friends around. Loneliness cannot equal solitude; the former is the opposite of communication, while the latter is harmony with yourself. It creates time for reflection, self-development, and personal training to be more mindful of life. 
There is evidential proof that loneliness can also enrich the process of gaining psychological clarity and creating a stable emotional state in a person, and it can even inspire creativity. Solitude is different from loneliness in that it can create enjoyable positive conditions that replenish one’s strength and improve health.

Understanding the difference between loneliness and solitude 

The essence of the distinction between loneliness and solitude lies in one’s perception. Lonely individuals desire to be with someone in company yet lack the opportunity to be with someone they want. Meanwhile, those who asked for a leave look at it as escaping social obligations and getting some time for themselves. 
What is more, loneliness is maladaptive and may seriously harm mental health, while solitude can be rather rejuvenating. Loneliness implies that in a person’s solitude, they are able to think clearly, resolve feelings, and achieve complacency. In essence, it allows the subject’s brain to engage in unforged thinking or even feeling without outside interferences.

Conclusion 

Lastly, it can clearly be seen that although the two terms essentially relate to being alone in that it is possible to be lonely while to be alone or in solitude and not feel lonely at all, the effects of these two states of being on mental health could not be more divergent. When we are lonely, we can force ourselves to socialise, and when we are in solitude, we can choose to be alone. Therefore, solitude is generally positive as compared to loneliness. It is significant to achieve the desired lifestyle and learn more about the difference between loneliness and loneliness. Unlike what most of us think, solitude is actually helpful and acceptable, especially when we take some time and allow our minds and hearts to rest.