With most of the world under orders to stay home, humans are being challenged like never before. In this time of uncertainty and "social distancing", we are beginning to experience isolation, boredom, and loneliness. But this challenge gives us all the opportunity to work on two practices that are vital to our mental and physical health: solitude and socialization.

While it seems like everyone has a lot of time to practice solitude, very few of us actually are. And while it seems like we have little opportunity to socialize, there are many ways we can still incorporate this into our daily lives, even while isolated.

Andy and Aaron look at the benefits of solitude, the physical and mental impact of social support and laughter, and how both extroverts and introverts can use this time for self-improvement.

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Resources:

• Solitude is Only a Problem When it Becomes Loneliness Article
• Loneliness and Health: Potential Mechanisms
• Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-analytic Review
• Social Support and Health: A Review of Physiological Processes Potentially Underlying Links to Disease Outcomes
• Effect of Laughter Yoga on Salivary Cortisol and Dehydroepiandrosterone Among Healthy University Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial
• The Impact of Social Activities, Social Networks, Social Support and Social Relationships on the Cognitive Functioning of Healthy Older Adults: A Systematic Review