Loneliness isn’t particularly high on the list of feelings anyone wants to experience. It can be sad, empty, and make you feel like everyone else in the world is living it up except for you. But occasional loneliness isn’t necessarily a bad thing, if you’re comfortable with your own company. In fact, being lonely every once in a while has its own advantages — you just have to be open to seeing them.
- It can open up your creative side. You don’t have to be bummed out to feel creative, but let’s be honest — a little moodiness here and there can be inspiring in many ways.
- It reminds you how much you really have. Sometimes loneliness crops up for no reason at all, but since you know it’s not permanent, it can actually make you feel grateful for all the people that you do have in your life.
- It can push you to reach out. If feeling lonely is what it takes for you to pick up the phone or text all the people who casually say, “Let’s get drinks sometime,” then so be it. We need people sometimes, and without loneliness, we might not always realize when.
- It can help you enjoy time alone. Ever feel desperately lonely in the middle of the party? If it’s a mood and not because the party is boring, it might be hinting that you just need a night to regroup alone and recharge your batteries.
- It can inspire you to get active. Taking a walk or heading to the gym is the perfect activity for loneliness when you don’t actually want to go out on a Friday night. All those endorphins can just whisk the feeling away.
- It can give you something to look forward to. Heading home for the holiday season is a lot more appealing when you actually miss your mom (whether or not you like to admit it). Most of us aren’t with all the people that we love all the time, so yeah, loneliness can happen.
- It makes you think. As busy as we can get, we don’t always take the time to just sit and think about things. But feelings like loneliness can remind us to do just that, and it sometimes helps us come to some important realizations.
- It can get you out of a dating slump. You might never get back out there if you didn’t feel a little twinge of loneliness from time time. It’s normal to go through phases where being alone sounds appealing… and sometimes we snap out of them when we’re most in need companionship.
- It reminds you to check in with yourself. Sometimes we have everything going for us and we still feel a little lonely. Sometimes this has nothing to do with people and everything to do other places where we’re lacking in fulfillment. Feeling lonely can just be a hint that it’s time for a change.