Is Solitude the Same as Loneliness?

What is solitude?

Being alone without feeling lonely is the state of solitude. It is a healthy and empowering way to interact with oneself. Being alone in a condition of solitude where you have lovely and ample company is pleasant.

A period alone can be used for introspection, personal growth, or general enjoyment. Both deep reading and taking in the beauties of nature require seclusion. Thinkers and artists typically do as well.

The idea of solitude conjures up a condition of inner wealth and tranquilly. It is a way of taking pleasure in the peace and all that it brings that is comforting and from which we derive sustenance. We work to cultivate it. A chance to rejuvenate oneself, solitude is refreshing. To put it another way, it refuels us.

Solitude builds relationships

Time spent with friends, family, and coworkers helps to foster a "we vs. them" mindset. You'll unintentionally have less empathy for people who don't belong in your inner group since you'll perceive them as being different from you.

These restrictions are removed with alone time. Studies have shown that scheduling alone time helps you grow more compassionate toward others.

What is loneliness?

Everybody experiences loneliness occasionally. Since loneliness is a subjective emotion, no two people will have the same loneliness experience.

The feeling we experience when our demand for fulfilling social contact and connections is unmet is a frequent description of loneliness. However, being lonely is not always the same as being by yourself.

Some people could find it isolating to be alone and have a happy life with little interaction with others.

Or you can be involved in a relationship, have a family, or have a lot of social contacts, yet feel lonely, especially if those around you don't seem to care about you or understand you.

Is loneliness a concern for mental health?

Although loneliness by itself is not a mental health issue, the two are closely related. Your likelihood of experiencing loneliness may rise if you have a mental health issue.

You can find it challenging to discuss your issues with some people since they may not understand certain mental health issues.

No matter how they behave in social situations or how many friends they have, some people have intense, enduring feelings of loneliness that come from within and do not go away.

People experience this form of loneliness for a variety of reasons. You can feel unworthy of liking yourself or others, or you might lack confidence.

Solitude vs Loneliness

Between solitude and loneliness, there is a significant distinction; loneliness is a bad state that is characterised by a feeling of isolation. There is a sense that something is lacking. Even while surrounded by others, loneliness can still exist. This is probably the most painful type of loneliness.

Being alone without feeling lonely is the state of solitude. It is a healthy and empowering way to interact with oneself. A state of solitude where you make great and ample company for yourself is nice.

The main mental state that separates solitude from loneliness is that of positivity; loneliness is a mental state of negativity.

Since both solitude and loneliness describe a feeling of being alone, we frequently use these two words interchangeably. However, solitude is the state of being alone without feeling lonely, whereas loneliness typically refers to the unhappiness one has when one has no company or friends. So there is a distinction between being alone and being lonely.

Conclusion

Solitude is something which people should try to attain.

Happiness, so they say, comes from inside.

But we never receive any instruction on how to spend time by ourselves.

We spend a lot of time and energy teaching kids social skills.

We arrange playdates and playgroups for them.

We warn them not to fight, not to curse, and to act nicely.

But we deny them the ability to be comfortable and alone by ourselves.

We appreciate positive self-esteem. The person we should know and like the best is ourselves, but we stigmatise spending time with ourselves.

There are many ways by which one can attain solitude. Some of them are:-

1. Rise early

2. Run, jog, or ride a bike.