Motivation plays an important role

Motivation plays an important role in how spending time alone helps with well-being. A study^[10] attempting to tease out motivation confirms an intuitive insight – intentional solitude is good, forced is bad. For adolescents (10-18 y/o) and emerging adults (18-25 y/o), seeking solitude because of external reasons is associated with social anxiety, depressive symptoms, and loneliness but seeking it for self-determined intrinsic reasons is associated with improved well-being. When people justify solitude and social withdrawal because they have no other option or they are dissatisfied with their options, alone-time can turn into loneliness. And when people travel solo or go out to clear their mind because they want to, alone-time can have a positive impact on mental health.