How important is time to you

10 Reasons Why Time Is Important

Even though it’s something that’s all around us and most of us take it for granted, time is one of the most mysterious forces in the universe. Why does it matter so much? What are some things everyone should remember when thinking about time? Here are ten reasons why time is important:

#1. Everything is bound to time

Every single thing in the universe is affected by time. Whether it’s a tulip, human, or a star, all things gradually age and eventually decay as time progresses. The speed of that decay can vary, but material things aren’t eternal and will eventually end.

#2. Time is the most precious resource because you can’t get it back

What are you going to do with the time you’ve been given? The answer to this question really matters because you can’t get wasted time back. People often think of money as their most valuable resource, and while it is important because it allows you to buy the things you need and want, you can get money back. Time, however, is intangible and once it’s gone, it’s gone.

Please enable JavaScript

#3. Because of privileges, not everyone truly has the same amount of time in a day

There’s an inspirational saying that basically states that everyone has the same 24 hours in a day, so no one can complain about not having time for the things they want to do. However, the reality is that while everyone does technically have 24 hours in a day, the amount of free time they have varies dramatically. While someone with a good job that has normal working hours can spend a fair amount of time practicing a skill, someone who needs to work many more hours to earn the same amount can’t. In that sense, even though they both have 24 hours in a day, time is relative for them.

#4. No one knows how much time they have

Another reason why time matters so much is that no one knows how much they’ve got. People can die at any age and from any reason, and no one can predict the future. Being aware of this uncertainty can have a dramatic effect on how you live your life.

#5. The only time we actually have is the present

As humans, we are aware of the three stages of time – the past, the present, and the future. We can use the past to learn and we can prepare for the future, but the present is the only space we have to work in. Research shows that being more mindful of what’s going on right now and living in the present benefits both mental and physical health.

#6. How we see time impacts happiness

Speaking of the past and the future, a person’s perspective of these two times has a big impact on their happiness and peace of mind. Many of us spend a lot of time ruminating on the past or worrying about the future. If we are able to let go of the past and what can’t be changed, and look ahead in the unknown with hope instead of fear, we would feel a lot happier and calmer.

#7. Managing it poorly or well has a huge impact on life

In his play “Macbeth,” Shakespeare wrote, “Let every man be master of his time.” Because we only have so many hours in a day and we don’t know how many days we’re going to get, mastering or managing the time we do have is essential. Good time management can help you in every area of life, whether it’s work or at home, and ensures you make the most out of every moment. Whether you fail or succeed at something often breaks down to time management, not skill.

#8. Relationships are made or broken by how much time you invest

Community is very important for a person’s health and wellbeing. Maintaining relationships takes a commitment and whether it’s a friendship or romantic partnership, time is a key element. Healthy relationships don’t just develop overnight. How much time people invest is often the main difference between a relationship that’s deep and fulfilling, and one that’s shallow.

#9. Skills are impacted by how much time you invest

In the recent past, there was a popular belief that it takes about 10,000 hours to master a skill, and while the real number is up in the air right now, it remains true that developing skills takes time. The specific amount of time depends on the person and their time management, but overall, just being willing to put in the hours and practice a skill pays off.

#10. Time is a teacher and a healer

The old phrase says that “Time heals everything,” and while that often feels hollow to people in the middle of a painful experience, they often find that it eventually becomes true. Sometimes the only way to get a new, healthier perspective on a situation is to give it time. Within that time, a person is given the opportunities to think about what’s happened and experience other things. Time serves as both a teacher and a healer, and while a person may not go back to who they were before, time has allowed them to grow.

What is the Importance of Time in Human Life?

Time plays a significant role in human life. If you understand the value of time better, you can gain experience and develop skills over time.

The Importance of Time in Human Life

Time is the continuous sequence of events that take place in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, to the future.

A person lives in this world within a time that is expressed in the same matter, for ten years ago you were not the same as you are today, neither in your appearance, nor in your knowledge, nor in your experiences, everything around you changes with the passage of time.

In this article, we will talk about the importance of this time in human life.

The Importance of Time in Our Life

Time has great importance in human life, including:

Time is related to all that is going on around us, so we often hear about the time dimension, because time is an essential element of life. Time represents special milestones, including birthdays, anniversaries and the birth of babies and helps us organize our daily lives and activities, so we can live a more organized and productive life.

From sunset till night, high tide and low tide due to the moon, the four seasons everything is completely time dependent.

Human life is measured by time, and the cycle of the sun, moon and earth is known as time, and through time we know the year, month, week, day, hour, minute, second and parts thereof, and each time helps us to calculate the speeds of objects and the like.

In time, we know the history of the events that are taking place around us, and it helps us in documenting these events. Historians rely on time to determine the time of a specific incident. Time also matters in determining the ages of antiquities and artifacts. The more time and time obsolete it is, the more valuable and more expensive it is.

At the time, we know the acts of worship, especially the prayer, which God made upon the believers a timed book, meaning that it is performed at the appointed time without delay. Likewise, we find that all worship has a close relationship with time.

If you want to know the importance of time,

Why Time is Important in Our Life?

Time is one of the most mysterious forces in the universe. Time plays a significant role in our life. Time helps us make a good habit of structuring and organizing our daily activities. If you understand the value of time better, you can gain experience and develop skills over time. Time is the most valuable resource because you cannot take it back.

Why does Time matter so much? Here are 10 reasons why time is so important:

Time Management

Based on what we have mentioned about the importance of time in our life, it is the duty of the rational person to preserve the time that is in his hands and not to waste these times without proper exploitation and benefit us. So we must learn to manage time because of its importance.

Schedule the day according to the concerns that you may be experiencing, especially for people who are employed, so they should not let the day is just a working day during the job, and then after they return home there is no activity or achievement. Rather, you should not take rest and comfort your request, but rather what your body needs from time to time without expelling you.

Why is Time Management Important? How to Manage Time Effectively?

Category: Blog, Business, Management On August 1, 2016 By Inspiration

What is time? Time is what the clock measures. This definition was pinned down by the famous Physicists like Albert Einstein, Ivey Donald, and a couple others. This is the basic form of explanation that almost every individual understands because we all own watches.

Time also refers to the totality of three main events: the past, present, and future. The past refers to the fixed and immutable events that occur before a certain point in time. The present lies between the past and the future. It’s commonly known as “now.” The future refers to a timeline that is yet to occur.

What is Time Management? Time management refers to planning on how long one is going to take to do certain activities. Time management is not about spending much time doing the same thing. It is about being smarter and doing each activity at its own designated time. The following points show us ways in which we can manage time effectively.

Time is an indefinite period that is usually marked by specific activities or attributes. Some of the activities that strictly adhere to time include flight arrivals and departures, office working hours, school lessons, surgery operation, etc. For this reason, it is extremely important that know the necessary time management skills. Financially, time is money. This is because you can be expected to work for several hours, days, weeks or months before you get paid.

Let’s look at the importance of time management and how we can manage time effectively.

Importance Of Time Management

Time management is extremely important in every sphere of our life. It helps a student get massive success at school results. As a business owner, it helps him to keep his commitments. In an organization, it creates an atmosphere that bring the best out of everyone. Let’s look at the few reasons why time management is important in our life.

1. Proper time management leads to increased productivity at workplace. Time management involves planning your tasks and knowing what to work on. It also involves knowing how much time a certain task will take. This enables you to stay focused and produce high-quality work.

2. It helps in completing tasks in time. A good time manager is always punctual. He sets objectives and tries to achieve them in the stipulated time. Since he is in better control of time, he stays focused and completes his tasks in a much easier way.

3. Time management helps reduce frustration and stress. Since you allot time appropriately to each of your tasks, you will have enough time to complete them. You will also have more time to review what you have done. This gives you peace of mind as you know you have done a perfect job.

4. It helps one to be a better planner. An individual who can manage time effectively is able to plan better. He/she can assign time to each of his daily or weekly tasks. He knows what to do and at what time. In the end, he has a lot of extra time on his hands. He can use this extra time to engage in leisure activities, visit friends and work on some projects at his home. This helps him live a balanced life.

5. Successful time management leads to academic success. If you can manage time effectively, you will be in a position to assess an assignment and determine how long it will take. During an exam, you will not hurry to finish. You will read through all the questions and assign time to each of them. You will also be able to read through your answers and make corrections where necessary. As a result, you will increase your chances of getting a better score.

6. Good time management helps improving one’s self-esteem. A good time manager can cope with the many demands in his hands. As you derive pleasure in your success, you become confident in yourself. You also become motivated to work even harder.

7. Effective time management helps one to boost his/her career prospects. Being a good time manager means you have an added advantage in the career world. Employers not only look at academic qualifications but also at other factors such as time management. They will hire a person who can deliver quality work in the minimum time possible.

8. Time management helps one to get and stay organized. Being organized is the best way to complete projects in time. However urgent a task may be, a good time manager will plan and organize it so as to have a full picture of what is required. Being organized is a virtue that employers value and you will gain respect for that.

9. Proper time management enables one to make sensible decisions. Whether it a personal or business decision you want to make, you need to take your time. Time management is necessary since you can afford to think about all the available choices and finally come up with an effective and sensible decision.

10 Ways to Manage Time Effectively

1. Plan for the day. Plan well for the day ahead in advance. A plan gives you direction and makes you a responsible individual. Get into the habit of making schedules and sticking to them. Indicate alongside each task the time it should be completed.

2. Write everything down. Keeping a diary is very important for adults. A diary not only shows you what needs to be done but ensures you don’t forget anything as well.

3. Downsize your life. While attempting to manage time, human beings have a habit of wanting to do everything at a go. The day has a total of 24 hours and there is nothing we can do to extend that. Getting too busy with everything will make the important task to be left undone. Give priority to important tasks first.

4. Have adequate sleep. We need more than seven hours of sleep to function better the next day. Don’t sleep fewer hours in order to spare time for other things. Make it a habit of going to bed early so that you can wake up early the following morning.

5. Eat well. A Healthy diet promises a healthy life. This way, you will be more energetic and productive. An energetic individual can work faster and save time for other projects.

6. Find the time you work best. Every individual functions in his/her own unique way. Some people are productive in the morning. Others work better in the afternoon while other are nocturnal. If you are the morning type, set an alarm to wake you up early. For others, a simple mobile phone reminder can help you know when it is working time.

7. Break your work into chunks. NLP techniques suggest that large tasks should be broken down into smaller tasks. This makes them easy and enjoyable to be done. Large tasks can get boring, and we are likely to keep pushing them ahead. Chunking can help one avoid procrastination by finishing all tasks in time.

8. Delegate responsibilities. We can’t be good at everything or at least we can’t do everything on our own. We will take a long time in completing a task that would have taken minutes if we’d have let others contribute.

9. Have a lone time. They day time’s activities can take a toll on you. You need to listen to your body and mind. Give them rest so that you can function better in your next task. However, do not abandon any activity that you may have left halfway. Always complete your tasks.

10. Make room for what matters. There is always a lot to be done. It’s easy to get confused and wander from one task to another. Learn to organize things and let those that carry a lot of weight come first.

Time is a precious resource that we can’t afford to waste. Time wasted cannot be recovered. Learning to manage time effectively can guarantee success in many parts of our lives.

Time is the Most Important Thing You Own

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t come into the world with nothing but your naked self. You’re actually already in possession of one of your most important gifts: time.

I like to imagine time as if you are given a certain amount of tickets at birth. At the end of each day, you hand in one of your tickets until they are all gone. At that point, your life is over.

Time as Something You Own

When it comes right down to it, most people probably don’t think of time as something they own. But in reality, you probably already make that association. There is a common expression to say you’re “spending” your time doing something. This implies that it is something you have.

Thinking of time as something you own is useful. Would you find it so easy to waste something if you knew you owned it? Making the ticket analogy helps. Imagining a stack of tickets shrink day after day reminds me to be careful in how I spend my time. Plus, it encourages me to take as much action as possible before they’re all gone.

Wasting Time

I look back on too many instances where I wasted time. Instead of spending time watching useless television programs or horrible movies, I could have been out meeting people, traveling or reading life-changing books. In those instances, I didn’t really value the time I had as something important.

I can see how unimportant time is for other people too. I’ve had many jobs where people are excited to get even the least important of things to do because it “kills time” until they get off work. I consider the time I have to be one of the most important and precious of gifts you can possibly have. So to see their glee at “killing” it simply saddens me.

Time is Finite

If it were simply a matter of making up the time you’re “killing” on another date like picking up a shift on your day off, I wouldn’t feel so bad about it. However, time is limited. You only have whatever you’re given. That’s it. Once it is gone, you never get it back.

Time really isn’t something that is “out there”, intangible and unrelated to your day-to-day life. It is your life.

And I think that’s the biggest reason why time is your most important possession. Everything you want to do, see, feel, touch and experience can only happen within the time you are given. Remember, that you can’t do something once you’re dead.

Your life to-do list doesn’t get done by itself. If you’re not working on doing everything that you want to do, you’re just letting that stack of tickets get shorter. One day you’ll be confronted with the realization of how much you still have to get done and how little of time you have to do it.

Pushing what you want to do and accomplish into the future is a foolish plan. Do what you can now or you might not be able to do them all. This is something you should have in the back of your mind throughout your lifetime.

Don’t Waste Time

The strange thing about all the time we have is how few people seem to appreciate it. After all, how many people do you know that work all day in jobs they hate or stay in relationships they can’t stand? I don’t know why you’d want to spend a single second doing something intolerable.

I’ve done all my busy work in grade school. I don’t want to waste any more of my most precious resource. And neither should you. Life is too short to waste it on things that don’t matter. All the time you spend in bad relationships or workplaces just isn’t worth it.

Get rid of all those time-wasters. Spend little to none of your time in situations you can’t stand. It might take a lot of time and effort to get where you want to be. But I’d say all that time was spent wisely.
photo credit: photographer padawan *(xava du)

Comments

definitely agree with you on this one.. i always tell my friends that time is my biggest leverage even in travelling… most of them dont get it though…

I tell all my friends this too, but many just won’t get it until way later in their life.

Great post about the important understanding of time. I used to waste a lot of time. Now I just simply don’t have time to waste. There is just so much to do or so much I could be doing. I don’t have the time to wait around to watch life happen I am way to busy living life and waiting for my results to catch up to my actions. I am with you, time is more valuable than any other commodity that exists. We have to learn to treat it in that regard. Great post!

I think there is just too much to do and too little time to do it all. It doesn’t seem as if life is short, it is just that we spend too much of it in areas that don’t matter. Since I’ve thought of time like this, I’ve appreciated it more.

I like the part about having time cards. My friend is a lawyer and so she has to keep track of time at work in six minute increments, she said that once she started that she got so more efficient outside of work because she had that mindset. I’ve been trying to have individual goals each day so that if I find myself kind of loss I can easily get back on track. Good post!

Keeping track of your time like that seems to put a new perspective on how important it is. I’ve had some friends who keep track of small intervals of time like that and they also get more efficient outside of work. It reminds me of this character I read about in a story once. The character set his watch to ring every 10 minutes so he would keep reminding himself to make the most out of the time he has.

Spot on Brother!
One of my favorite isms is…You can’t change yesterday, but you can change tomorrow by what you choose to do today. It all starts with the first step. The hours will fill in no matter our choices. How much better though if we purposefully spend them.
Thanks.

Hey Rob, things really get better if we purposefully spend our time better. It’s so true that it all starts with the first step.

Well said Steve. As I’ve grown older you come to appreciate it even more. As you say, it’s something you own, but loose a little of it each day. Another point I’d like to add is that, although we have no idea on the time we shall spend upon this earth, we are all able to slightly extend that time to it’s maximum potential by remaining healthy.

As you point out, we’re all given a set number of tickets at birth. These tickets are based on our genetic inheritance. If we do not remain as healthy as possible through out our life, instead of handing back one ticket per day, we may be giving back a small piece from the next days ticket.

Your tickets will run out allot sooner if you dont remain healthy as well. Another inspiration post. Thanks mate…

Hey Jason, you’re very right about extending the time you have. You can always get more time if you live well, eat healthy and exercise. It’s for that reason that I try to do all three as much as possible. If you can do all these then your tickets won’t run out as quickly.

I rarely watch television nowadays. I don’t think I even do. For me, there seems to be more important things I’d rather focus myself doing that will be more productive for me in the end.

Oh.My.Goodness. This post is like a slap on my face now. I’ve been ‘wasting’ my time for like two weeks now and it’s not even funny. I am going out of town by Friday and i hope that will somewhat push me to do what i should be doing and be productive. I’ve been waking up late and eating unhealthy food. In a way, i was sick but it’s not a good excuse. Haven’t updated my blogs and even my resume. I’m not yet sure if i want to go back to the corporate world because i feel like i’ll be wasting my precious time there, but what am i doing now? 😐 In my personal blog (http://www.micamyx.com), i mentioned that i will venture into a full-length film this year. Haven’t started yet. Oh man thanks for this 😀

There are some days when I don’t really feel like doing anything either. I think having those days are good every so often. So you might not really be wasting your time, especially if you’re trying to figure out what you want to do next. It sounds like you have a lot going on. Being in a full-length film sounds like it would be fun.

I’m a long way short of being good at organising my time but it doesn’t worry because we spend all of our time doing the things we want to do – there’s just too many things we want to do. 🙂 It’s a great position to be in, though and you’re right; everyone should take more action to make proper use of their precious time. It’s not difficult, once you make the decision and get the ball rolling.
Julia

I’m in the same position as you are. I’m not the best organizer of my time, but that’s because it is so hard when I have so many things to do. On the plus side, many of those things that keep me busy are things I want to do. You’re right that it’s a good position to be in.

I definitely don’t think I’m wasting my life because I’m making good use of it and delving into areas of the world where other people usually don’t go. It’s amazing, though, how much time I can still waste, though – for example, by surfing the web for far too many hours when I should be doing something, anything else.

I talk about this all the time. I actually was just saying to a co-worker today “We only get one life! Why do people squander it!?” Everyday I feel like I’m not doing enough to take advantage of all life has to offer.

I ask the same question to co-workers. Some people just don’t seem to understand how precious time really is. And some days I also feel like I’m not doing enough to take advantage of everything in life. But I imagine that you’re similar to me in that we both push ourselves really hard to do everything we want to do.

Too many people don’t realise how precious time is. And even if it is passing slowly for you right now, utimately it slips away too quickly.

Some of us have more time to live than others. We owe it to them to really LIVE our lives and make the most of every moment.

Great post Steve.

Yes, that’s the problem with time. It passes too slow to really notice, but ultimately slips away too quickly. That’s why I like using my ticket metaphor. It makes it easier to notice time passing.

How Important Is Alone Time for Mental Health?

Kendra Cherry, MS, is an author and educational consultant focused on helping students learn about psychology.

Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Verywell / Madelyn Goodnight

People tend to be social creatures, and research has shown that social connections are vital for both emotional and physical well-being. However, alone time also plays a pivotal role in mental health. Being around other people comes with rewards, but it also creates stress. You worry about what people think. You alter your behavior to avoid rejection and to fit in with the rest of the group.

While it may be the cost of being part of a social world, some of these challenges demonstrate why alone time can be so important. Having time for yourself gives you the chance to break free from social pressures and tap into your own thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated both the challenges of loneliness and a lack of solitary time. Where many people struggled with feelings of isolation and loneliness, others faced the challenges of suddenly spending a great deal of time in close quarters with family members or roommates. Blurred work-life boundaries and a lack of time apart meant that many people were suddenly struggling with a complete lack of alone time.

Why Alone Time Is Important

Finding time to be alone can have a number of key benefits. Some of these include:

Personal Exploration

Becoming comfortable in your own company can give you the time and freedom to truly explore your own passions without interference. It can be a way to try new things, research topics that fascinate you, acquire knowledge, and even practice new methods of self-expression.

Giving yourself alone time means you can explore these things without the pressures and judgments that others may impose. Having time to yourself is critical for growth and personal development. Instead of worrying about the needs, interests, and opinions that others may have, alone time lets you focus on yourself.

Creativity

Alone time is an opportunity to let your mind wander and strengthen your creativity. Without the need to care for or interact with other people, you can ignore outside influences and focus inward.

Research actually suggests that being alone can lead to changes in the brain that help fuel the creative process. One study found that people who tend to purposely withdraw in order to spend time alone also tend to be highly creative people.

In a 2020 study published in the journal Nature Communications, researchers found that perceived social isolation (aka loneliness) led to increased activity in the neural circuits related to imagination. When left with a lack of social stimulation, the brain ramps up its creative networks to help fill the void.

Social Energy

Living alone tends to be seen in a negative light. However, researchers have found that people who live alone may actually have richer social lives and more social energy than people who cohabitate with others.

In his book “Going Solo,” sociologist Eric Klineberg notes that one in seven U.S. adults lives alone. Klineberg found that not only were these adults not lonely, many actually had richer social lives.

Reasons Being Alone Isn’t Always Easy

Alone time can be challenging for some people for a variety of reasons. One study found that many people would prefer to give themselves painful electric shocks rather than just sit alone with their own thoughts. Some of these reasons people might struggle with being alone include:

Marketing professor and researcher Rebecca Ratner of the University of Maryland found that people often avoid doing things they enjoy if they have to do them alone. This is particularly true if it is an activity that can be observed by others, such as going to dinner or a movie solo. Such findings suggest that stigma about being alone influences whether people think they enjoy such activities.

«When people do things alone, they enjoy themselves more than they expected,» Ratner explains. «People overestimate the benefits of being with someone else.»

It is also important to note that aspects of your personality, as well as your individual preferences, can play a role in determining how much alone time you need and how beneficial it may be.

Extroverts tend to feel energized by social experiences, so solitude might be more challenging for them. Introverts, on the other hand, gain energy from being alone.

However, don’t think that just because you are an extrovert that you won’t enjoy spending time by yourself. In one study, social psychologist Thuy-vy Thi Nguyen found that introverts and extroverts didn’t actually differ in the amount of enjoyment they gained from solitude. Contrary to popular belief, introverts didn’t enjoy solitude any more than extroverts.

«Our findings suggested that individuals who stay true to their choices and convictions are more likely to take interest and see value in spending time with themselves, despite their propensities for sociality or insecurity around other people,» the authors explain.

No matter what your personality type, there may be times you can benefit from some quality time to yourself.

Aloneness vs. Loneliness

Even before the pandemic, experts warned of a loneliness epidemic that threatened the wellness of people of all ages. Research suggests that people experience more loneliness now than they have in the past. According to one 2018 report, half of Americans feel lonely sometimes, while 25% report feeling lonely almost all the time.

There is an abundance of evidence showing that loneliness can have devastating health consequences. It has been linked to elevated blood pressure, hastened cognitive decline, social anxiety, and an increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease.

Loneliness is linked to a wide range of negative health consequences including a higher risk for depression, anxiety, obesity, high blood pressure, and early death.

But it is important to remember that being alone doesn’t equal loneliness. Where loneliness is marked by negative feelings associated with isolation, alone time involves finding freedom, inspiration, and rejuvenation in solitude.

More recently, researchers have begun to explore the idea that a certain amount of quality alone time can be just as vital for emotional and physical wellness.

Signs You Need Some Alone Time

It’s not always easy to recognize the signs that you might need some time away from other people. Some signs to watch for include:

The good news is that even if you are struggling with any of these signs, a little alone time can have a significant restorative effect. In one study, people who reported spending approximately 11% of their time alone experienced fewer negative feelings in subsequent demanding social experiences.

How to Spend Time Alone

If you are thinking of spending some time alone, it is important to do so in ways that are beneficial to your mental well-being. Being alone is most beneficial when it is voluntary. It’s also important that you feel like you can return to your social world whenever you like.

There’s no correct amount of solo time that works for everyone. Think about things that you might like to do by yourself, then start practicing doing them alone.

Each person has differing needs for solitude and social time, so try striking a balance between the two that works for your unique needs. Some might need just a few minutes now and then to reset a bad mood, while others might require more extensive stretches of alone time.

Creating Space to Be Alone

Finding time to be alone isn’t always easy. Those around you may have differing social needs and may not understand your need for solitude. Family obligations and parenting responsibilities can also make it tough to carve out time to yourself. Some steps that you can’t take to ensure that you get the time you need:

Try waking up early in the morning to enjoy some peaceful time to yourself before others in the house start to wake. If that isn’t an option, doing things like going for a walk outdoors or having other family members watch the kids or take over household duties while you take a break can be helpful.

Develop the Right Mindset

If the thought of being alone makes you fear that you’ll end up feeling lonely, research suggests it may be helpful to reframe time spent alone as solitude. In one study, participants were assigned to either read about the prevalence of loneliness, read a passage about the benefits of solitude, or read about an unrelated topic.

After completing this reading, the participants sat alone for a 10 minute period. In each condition, people experienced decreases in both negative and positive feelings. Such results suggest that while being alone might not always boost your mood, it can help you better regulate your emotions.

The study also found that while people who read about the benefits of solitude didn’t necessarily experience a better mood, they didn’t have the same reduction of positive feelings that those in the other two groups did.

Such findings suggest that reassessing how you look at spending time alone can play an important role in moderating the potentially negative effects of loneliness.

A Word From Verywell

While being alone sometimes gets mistaken for being lonely, it is clear that having time to yourself now and then is important for mental health and well-being. If the thought of spending time on your own makes you feel bored or uncomfortable, try starting with a small chunk of alone time that allows you to focus on a specific task.

As you get better at enjoying your own company, you may find that this alone time helps you feel renewed and inspired for when you do return to your social circle.

Klineberg E. Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone. Penguin; 2013.

Wilson TD, Reinhard DA, Westgate EC, et al. Just think: The challenges of the disengaged mind. Science. 2014;345(6192):75-77. doi:10.1126/science.1250830

Ratner RK, Hamilton RW. Inhibited from bowling alone. J Consum Res. 2015;(42)2:266-283. doi:10.1093/jcr/ucv012

Holt-Lunstad J, Smith TB, Baker M, Harris T, Stephenson D. Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for mortality: a meta-analytic review. Perspect Psychol Sci. 2015;10(2):227-237. doi:10.1177/1745691614568352

Birditt KS, Manalel JA, Sommers H, Luong G, Fingerman KL. Better off alone: daily solitude is associated with lower negative affect in more conflictual social networks. Pruchno R, ed. The Gerontologist. 2019;59(6):1152-1161. doi:10.1093/geront/gny060

Ewert A, Chang Y. Levels of nature and stress response. Behav Sci (Basel). 2018;8(5). doi:10.3390/bs8050049