Why Solitude Is Essential for Well-Being—and How to Get It Right

On any given Saturday, Morgan Quinn Ross, an assistant professor of emerging media and technology at Oregon State University, can be found deep in the mountainous woods, sans phone, on a solo run. “People generally know that I do it, so if I die, I would like to think that they would find me eventually,” Ross tells Vox. “But I find that really restorative. I find that it’s really helpful just to check back in with myself after the week and really appreciate nature.”

After conducting multiple studies on solitude, Ross considers this form of alone time—one completely removed from human contact—a way of being “attuned to the self.” During the week, Ross trains with a run club, but Saturdays are for him; they’re his opportunity to reflect. Though a solitary jog through the woods hardly seems social at all, the ritual is an essential component of Ross’s social routine, as alone time is necessary for any well-balanced social life.

What Is a “Social Biome”?

Jeffrey A. Hall, a communication studies professor at the University of Kansas, sees the balance of alone and social time as integral to a healthy “social biome,” the title of the book he co-authored with Andy J. Merolla, a communications professor at UC Santa Barbara. Each person’s unique social biome encompasses all of their regular interactions with friends and family, co-workers, and strangers, and it thrives when there is a mix of connectedness and alone time.

Because social interaction is inherently energy-intensive, everyone needs solitude to replenish. “It allows us to regroup, understand our sense of self, recharge our batteries, but then also be capable of entering into conversation and discourse with curiosity and compassion and interest,” Hall tells Vox.

Are We Overdoing Solitude?

Despite—or perhaps because of—solitude’s restorative abilities, Americans have collectively gone a little overboard on alone time. Between 2003 and 2019, Americans spent an increasing amount of their day alone: 43.5 percent in 2003 versus 48.7 percent in 2019, according to an analysis from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. (It went up even more in 2020.) Meanwhile, the amount of time Americans spent with people they don’t live with dropped.

These shifts are reflected in cultural messages like the push to “protect one’s peace” from exhausting friends and the glorification of canceling plans. Ironically, a lot of attention has been paid to the loneliness epidemic, and the physical and emotional harms that chronic loneliness can cause. But someone who spends frequent time in solitude isn’t necessarily lonely, just as people who are physically alone might not be getting restorative solitude.

How to Cultivate Restorative Solitude

While the ideal amount of solitude is unique to each individual, there are ways to ensure alone time is meaningful:

• Disconnect to reconnect: Put your phone away to fully engage with your surroundings or thoughts.
• Set boundaries: It’s okay to say no to social plans when you need time to recharge.
• Prioritize quality over quantity: Even short periods of intentional solitude can be restorative.
• Reflect on your needs: Pay attention to how you feel after social interactions and adjust accordingly.

Solitude isn’t about isolation; it’s about creating space to recharge and return to your social life with renewed energy.