Being alone is sometimes associated with a negative connotation where it is associated with being lonely and having no friends. You may want to know how psychology views this condition. Is it true that being alone means having no friends? Let’s read the information about it below according to the Kampus Psikologi site.
Solitude: “Being Alone Does Not Mean Lonely!”
Making friends is good physically and mentally. Friendship relationships provide experiences and are useful for the development of someone’s emotional maturity and social skills (Sullivan, 1953). Humans are social beings and it is normal for us to need the other humans in our life. But, what if we are alone?
In Psychology, being alone is called solitude where it is a condition of being alone without feeling lonely. In the condition of solitude, there will be positive and constructive involvement with themselves. The state of being alone is a situation that is chosen and desired. Solitude is used as a moment for reflection, inner search, or self-growth (Marano, 2003).
Being alone is a condition when an individual is not accompanied by other individuals and the important thing that should be noted is that being alone is not always bad and problematic conditions. Bowker (2017) said that someone who spends time alone and does not socialize tends to have a higher level of creativity.
It happens because when someone is alone, he or she gives space for himself or herself to be present and fully focus on himself or herself.
Being Alone Has Benefits
Below, you are able to read the benefits when you take your time alone.
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- Increase Creativity
When someone is alone, their reflection ability increases and it can increase their creativity as well. There will be new ideas because they focus on themselves and their mind so that it can encourage innovation to appear without any social pressure. So, no wonder why people who need ideas are usually in the condition of contemplation, reflection or solitude.
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- Increase Empathy
Research which was done by Uhls, Y.T. (2004) shows that when a person has a certain amount of time alone, it can increase empathy compared to people who do not do that. Uhls made this conclusion from his research where he conducted experiments by reducing digital communication time in adolescents without giving them a communication device and it was effective to increase their ability to interpret emotions and facial expressions.
If someone has increased observation ability, they can learn a condition well and it can make them able to give the right response because they understand the situation and condition.
Maintaining Healthy Friendship
For some people, it is easy for them to make friends. However, for some others, it is difficult to do, especially when they are in early adulthood between 20 to 40 years old. At that age, often the circle of friends is getting smaller and even putting someone is a condition of not having friends at all (Hurlock, 1980).
As a social being, we need other people in our life and if we have healthy friendships, it can help us in our daily activities.
Someone will feel lonely and have no friends when they make a mistake in their friendship and then it makes them disappointed.
According to the Kampus Psikologi site, here are several things that you can do to make healthy friendships.
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- Make Friend with Someone Who Has The Same Interests
One of the factors that can make a friendship long last is that there is a sense of belonging and dependence on each other. If you have the same interest as your friend, then you both will tend to bond with each other and do various activities together so that the quality of your friendship will increase.
2. Spend Your Time with Your Friends
When you establish a friendship, you and your friends need to invest time and emotion. If the relationship is built mutually or needs each other, it means that the bond between friends is good.
So, spending your time with your friends can last your friendship because through the time, there will be communication where it can help you to get to know your friends deeply.
3. Be Open and Honest
Maintaining trust is one of the challenges in a relationship, including in friendship. You may have heard that there are friendships that end up with uncomfortable conditions and even it can be a trust issue in someone. This thing happens because of not being honest.
If you and your friends are open and honest, it can maintain your healthy friendship. And even if you are open to something that you do not like from your friends, it can form a space to tolerate each other.
Do You Feel That You Have a Problem? Contact a Professional!
If you feel that you are uncomfortable in doing your activities alone or you may feel very lonely, you are able to contact professional psychological services or the nearest psychiatrist in your area. Alternatively, you are able to use remote counselling or telecounseling services on online platforms so that you are able to feel more comfortable.
A bookworm and researcher especially related to law and citizenship education. I spend time every day in front of the internet and the campus library.
