I have reported multiple times on loneliness during the pandemic — mostly because interest and research into loneliness has taken a large uptick.
I have also reported on how to combat this and was happy to see that a piece of research just out proved what I had already proposed and gives some solid evidence to this (and why). Not only that but it shows how best to use one’s leisure time — and achieve more life satisfaction.
The study out of Penn State looked at international university students who may be more susceptible to loneliness because they are in a new environment with less of a social network. Also, the pandemic disrupted many social activities that help these students to integrate.
What they found is that those who could engage in meaningful activities while alone felt less lonely — and notably, even if these activities did not involve social contact. Hence, they conclude that it is the activity that one engages in, particularly in leisure time, that contributes strongly towards feeling lonely or not.
The also note that getting into the state known as “flow” (which I also reported on here) also decreases propensity for loneliness and this is also positively correlated with doing meaningful activities.
