263 — How 15 Minutes of Solitude Can Change Your Life with Professor Robert Coplan
Mentally Stronger with Therapist Amy Morin
How to Start a Daily Solitude Practice
Amy asks if 15 minutes is a good start; Robert recommends scheduling, solitude diaries, and building solitude muscles.
Do you ever feel guilty for wanting time to yourself? Or do you struggle to be truly alone with your thoughts without the distractions of your phone?
If you feel pressure to be productive or you get uncomfortable when you're alone, this episode is for you. I'm talking to Dr. Robert Coplan, a developmental psychologist, college professor, leading researcher on solitude, and author of the new book The Joy of Solitude.
Some of the things we discuss are:
- The true definition of solitude
- Why alone time is actually the opposite of loneliness—and it's essential for your well-being
- How the “deactivation effect” of solitude helps regulate your emotions and restore your energy
- The science behind how being alone can spark creativity and even make your relationships stronger
- The simple tech guidelines for solitude that can help you get the most out of your time alone
- What the famous 15-minute electric shock study really tells us about being alone
- How to build your “solitude muscles” with micro-moments of intentional alone time
- What to say when you need to set boundaries and request alone time without offending others
- How to embrace the Joy of Missing Out (JOMO) instead of the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
- Why it’s crucial to start building solitude skills in kids and how the benefits change with age
Subscribe to Mentally Stronger Premium for exclusive content like weekly bonus episodes, mental strength challenges, and office hours with me.
Links & Resources
Connect with the Show
Buy a copy of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do
Connect with Amy on Instagram — @AmyMorinAuthor
Visit my website — AmyMorinLCSW.com
Sponsors
OneSkin — Get 15% off OneSkin with the code STRONGER at https://www.oneskin.co/
Quince — Go to Quince.com/stronger for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns!
Shopify — Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at Shopify.com/mentallystronger
L-Nutra — Visit ProlonLife.com/MS to claim your 15% discount and your bonus gift.
Jones Road Beauty — Use code STRONGER at jonesroadbeauty.com to get a Free Cool Gloss with your first purchase! #JonesRoadBeauty #ad
Lola Blankets — Get 35% off your entire order at Lolablankets.com by using code STRONGER at checkout. Experience the world’s #1 blanket with Lola Blankets.
AirDoctor — Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code STRONGER to get UP TO $300 off today!
AquaTru — Go to AquaTru.com now for 20% off using promo code STRONGER
Uncommon Goods — Go to UncommonGoods.com/Stronger for 15% off
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The AI-powered Podcast Player
