A few words on the importance of alone time.
The holidays are a blessing. And this is a reminder to find the time you need to be with yourself and the ones you love.
Time to recharge is crucial for our growth and ability to be out in the world.
This, however, does not mean permanent social isolation. The purpose of recharge is to get enough fuel to get out into the world! To socialize and be with other humans…as frightening as it might be.
Now, I must be honest, I do enjoy my “alone time” but I know too much of it is not good for the body, mind, or soul.
Here are a few statistics released by the Center for Disease Control that I found striking:
Recent studies found that:
Social isolation significantly increases a person’s risk of premature death from all causes, a risk that may rival those of smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity.
Social isolation was associated with about a 50% increased risk of dementia.
Poor social relationships (characterized by social isolation or loneliness) were associated with a 29% increased risk of heart disease and a 32% increased risk of stroke.
Loneliness was associated with higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide.
Loneliness among heart failure patients was associated with nearly 4 times increased risk of death, 68% increased risk of hospitalization, and 57% increased risk of emergency department visits.
Pretty wild stuff? I think so.
The saddest part about these statistics is the amount of people who struggle with social anxiety or even have an inability to keep a healthy balance between alone time and social time. To be honest…we humans…can be terrible to be around. We say we care about each other, we care about our communities and so on but when push comes to shove we can be quick to quit on each other. Even quick to shun someone for being who they are or for being different.
This is no way to live.
We just need to remember that we are going through the same stuff. And that’s why we all need time to recharge, rest, recoup, and eventually go back out into the world. It would just be super nice if those out in the world were also recharged and ready.
Then, the holidays…would indeed remain a blessing.
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