{"id":1441213,"date":"2022-04-16T07:45:24","date_gmt":"2022-04-16T11:45:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1441213"},"modified":"2022-04-16T07:45:35","modified_gmt":"2022-04-16T11:45:35","slug":"embracing-solitude-as-told-by-a-long-distance-sailing-expert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/embracing-solitude-as-told-by-a-long-distance-sailing-expert\/","title":{"rendered":"Embracing Solitude, as Told By a Long-Distance Sailing Expert"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fembracing-solitude-as-told-by-a-long-distance-sailing-expert%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1441213&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><\/div>\n<div><span><\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"css-1rnzyga\">Being alone can mean peace and satisfaction. Solitude can be a choice.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Is there a difference between loneliness and solitude?<\/p>\n<p>Absolutely, says Kirsten Neusch\u00e4fer, a long-distance solo sailing expert. <\/p>\n<p>In her day job transporting boats, Neusch\u00e4fer routinely sails solo across the ocean, sometimes for more than 30 days at a time. <\/p>\n<p>Now she\u2019s preparing for a sailing race that will see her alone at sea for almost 300 days with very little contact with the outside world. That said, she\u2019s not worried about getting lonely.<\/p>\n<p>For Neusch\u00e4fer, being alone means peace and satisfaction rather than negative thoughts and feelings. <\/p>\n<p>If you find yourself resisting solitude, there are ways to learn to embrace it and reap the benefits of quality time alone. <\/p>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.solitude-lab.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-5r4717\">Thuy-vy Nguyen<\/a>, assistant professor of quantitative social psychology at the University of Durham, there\u2019s a clear line between loneliness and solitude. <\/p>\n<p>Nguyen specializes in the study of solitude and social well-being. She defines solitude simply as the experience of being alone. In contrast, loneliness is a subjective emotion that\u2019s always negative.<\/p>\n<h3>Characteristics of loneliness<\/h3>\n<p>Loneliness is a unique condition that happens when an individual sees themself as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelancet.com\/journals\/lancet\/article\/PIIS0140-6736(18)30142-9\/fulltext\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-5r4717\">socially isolated<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>As Nguyen explains, feelings of loneliness occur when there\u2019s a difference between a person\u2019s expectation of what their social life should be like compared with the reality of what it\u2019s really like.<\/p>\n<p>Importantly, you can experience loneliness even when you\u2019re not alone. <\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/29171764\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-5r4717\">2019 study<\/a> revealed that even though young adults had a larger social network than late middle-aged adults, they reported feeling lonely and isolated for twice as many days.<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full\/10.1177\/0165025420958194?casa_token=QbUobpe_V-oAAAAA%3Apu-8ktu9ajddtAOU9TApe7Bxbr8l7_n2siz-5mz87O2ue1mVIzPe70H5uXvrIx5VLkKTMps-mdmi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-5r4717\">2020 study<\/a> of adolescents in Holland also showed that loneliness is often linked to self-esteem and can be influenced by your perception of how much you mean to the people around you. <\/p>\n<p>Loneliness can be made worse by feelings of \u201canti-mattering,\u201d defined as when you feel invisible or insignificant to other people. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2020.563420\/full\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-5r4717\">2020 study<\/a> of 172 undergraduate students found that increased feelings of anti-mattering were linked to higher levels of loneliness.<\/p>\n<h3>Characteristics of solitude<\/h3>\n<p>Unlike loneliness, solitude doesn\u2019t have to be negative or positive. <\/p>\n<p>Experiences of solitude often depend on the circumstances and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0191886920302555\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-5r4717\">can vary across cultures<\/a> and demographics. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cSolitude might have many different flavors for different people,\u201d says Nguyen. <\/p>\n<p>Positive experiences of solitude are usually <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full\/10.1177\/0091415020957379?casa_token=Hq_UVqDtX9QAAAAA%3A4UovRars9QhJ1sLsHf8Nzr_lgC9JXg8eq9mECRjLgGOYd-YDWyK_98JTg8TEEdxIDeE0B0ZOn5yD\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-5r4717\">linked to choice<\/a>, says Nguyen. Being forced into solitude, like when a child is put in time-out, tends to be a negative experience. <\/p>\n<p>According to her research, solitude can lead to <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full\/10.1177\/0146167217733073?casa_token=RRxdNMT8C9QAAAAA%3AWPMtL2j6ent3MG9mV1Fk0BgDNOy_wz3egtxU0apqxjRfgUTKl_dnOS00dguAukmBMJpfJabGuyWn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-5r4717\">relaxation and reduced stress<\/a> when people choose to be alone. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0191886919303101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-5r4717\">Research from 2019<\/a> has also shown that solitude can be beneficial for self-exploration, creativity, and self-renewal.<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s10964-020-01365-0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-5r4717\">2021 study<\/a> found that in the case of adolescents, spending time alone is just as important as spending time with others. Solitary activities like hobbies and art are more likely to make solitude enjoyable for adolescents.<\/p>\n<p>In Neusch\u00e4fer\u2019s eyes, there\u2019s a very big difference between loneliness and solitude.<\/p>\n<p>As a <a href=\"https:\/\/kirstenggr.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-5r4717\">long-distance sailing expert<\/a>, she\u2019s used to being far away from family and friends. The longest she\u2019s spent alone at sea was 67 days.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn a 2-month period of solitude, you kind of get into the groove,\u201d says Neusch\u00e4fer. \u201cYou kind of get to that point where you\u2019ve absolutely accepted and actually come to appreciate the fact that you\u2019re alone.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>For Neusch\u00e4fer, there\u2019s a sense of peace that comes from being completely alone. In fact, the times when she feels most lonely are when she\u2019s surrounded by other people.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor me, loneliness is a totally different feeling,\u201d says Neusch\u00e4fer. \u201cWhen you\u2019re in and amongst people in a big city and everyone\u2019s in a big rush, no one\u2019s talking to you and you\u2019re all running the rat race, that\u2019s when I feel loneliness.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, Neusch\u00e4fer also cautions that you need to know your own limits. For her, it\u2019s simply a case of getting used to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health\/how-to-live-alone\" class=\"content-link css-5r4717\">being alone<\/a>. But it\u2019s not always the same for everyone.<\/p>\n<p>For Nguyen, COVID-19 has meant that she now tries to be more mindful about when she needs to be alone and when she needs company. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI live with a partner and we both work from home during lockdown,\u201d she says. \u201cI do vocalize my desire and need to have my own space and time, sometimes quite assertively.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Like Neusch\u00e4fer, she agrees that solitude has a role to play in our life as much as having strong connections to other people.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>If you have difficulty being alone, there are some ways you can reduce feelings of loneliness and have a more positive experience of solitude. <\/p>\n<h3>Meditation <\/h3>\n<p>Practicing meditation may help reduce loneliness. <\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1080\/13607863.2019.1691143\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-5r4717\">2019 study<\/a> of retired older adults who participated in weekly meditation classes over 2 years reported that they were less lonely, more content, and experienced greater life satisfaction and well-being.<\/p>\n<p>These findings are supported by a <a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full\/10.1111\/hsc.13248\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-5r4717\">2020 review<\/a>, which showed that meditation and mindfulness may decrease the perception of loneliness, though larger studies are needed. <\/p>\n<h3>Sleep<\/h3>\n<p>There may also be a link between sleep problems and loneliness.<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-018-05377-0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-5r4717\">2018 study<\/a> showed that lack of sleep can lead to increased social withdrawal and loneliness. This effect can be perceived by other people, which could increase the level of loneliness. <\/p>\n<p>As a result, sleep loss may create a cycle of social separation and withdrawal.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full\/10.1177\/2167702620922969\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-5r4717\">research from 2020<\/a> on the relationship between sleep problems and loneliness found that sleep problems may make loneliness worse, contributing to depressive symptoms.<\/p>\n<p>Taking steps to improve <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/nutrition\/17-tips-to-sleep-better\" class=\"content-link css-5r4717\">sleep quality<\/a>, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0020748917302432?casa_token=Y9BEY9ceMMsAAAAA:U_p2SCQJMxYPR_o9StgR56qyU_AIwBQb5UxGZa0-HOzuinFszEyZsic0S0Pq7NukDG_di8mZ2w\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-5r4717\">listening to music<\/a> before bed, may help improve feelings of loneliness.<\/p>\n<h3>Nature therapy <\/h3>\n<p>According to Nguyen, nature can provide a space for embracing solitude.<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-4601\/17\/24\/9340\/htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-5r4717\">2020 study<\/a> into the effects of mindfulness and Shinrin-yoku, known as forest bathing, found that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health\/mental-health\/ecotherapy\" class=\"content-link css-5r4717\">being in nature<\/a> reduces activity in the part of the brain that reflects sadness and withdrawal. <\/p>\n<p>This indicates that spending time in nature can have a restorative and soothing effect.<\/p>\n<h3>Self-care activities<\/h3>\n<p>Taking time to do activities that you enjoy as a form of self-care can also create a positive experience of solitude. <\/p>\n<p>Positive solitude is often filled with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health\/when-to-be-selfish-self-care\" class=\"content-link css-5r4717\">self-interested activities<\/a>, explains Nguyen, such as hobbies that relate to self-care and self-expression or activities that increase a sense of competence like sport and exercise.<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.oslomet.no\/index.php\/techneA\/article\/view\/3405\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-5r4717\">2019 study<\/a> of people who knit in Finland, for instance, found that many knitters prefer to work in solitude, using it as an opportunity to take care of their own needs, organize their thoughts and feelings, and help them work through problems.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"css-zya54r\"><\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Being alone can mean peace and satisfaction. Solitude can be a choice.Is there a difference between loneliness and solitude?Absolutely, says Kirsten Neusch\u00e4fer, a long-distance solo sailing expert. In her day<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":489,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1441213","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1441213","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/489"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1441213"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1441213\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1441213"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1441213"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1441213"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}