Loneliness is a complex emotion. All people experience loneliness uniquely – because it can be sparked by a variety of causes and feel differently for everyone, loneliness can sometimes be challenging to identify.

Sometimes people mistake loneliness with other complex emotions. For example, some people have a difficult time being alone. The idea of spending time alone is challenging for them; when they find themselves in a situation where they’ll be alone with themselves and their own thoughts, they immediately crave the company of another person. This is often mistaken for loneliness, though it is quite different.

Why are some people not comfortable being alone with themselves or their own thoughts?

There are a variety of reasons why a person may not enjoy spending alone time with themselves. Past trauma, anxiety, and personalities are all factors that can cause someone to feel incredibly uncomfortable when they aren’t in an environment with other people. Continue reading →

You move across the country, and everyone worries about how lonely you will be on your own. You’ve been single for several years, and as you get older, your friends worry you’ll be isolated and lonely forevermore. If you are alone, then society will presume that you are lonely. Loneliness is associated with feelings of isolation, emptiness, and sadness. Loneliness can lead to isolation, and those negative emotions and feelings are part of that. But, you can be alone without being lonely… how is the question?

Know Thyself

Your emotions are trying to communicate something to you. If you feel incredibly anxious when you’re alone, then you’re probably going to seek to fill every moment of your time with something. That’s exhausting. You need to learn to sit with your emotions and experience how they make you feel rather than running away from them. You might need to cry one day; you might need to laugh another. Continue reading →