Solitude: The Science and Power of Being Alone

Join us as we explore the gentle power of solitude with two renowned researchers. In this interactive talk, Dr Thuy-vy Nguyen will help the audience envision serene spaces where you can find rest in solitude.

It can be a cosy chair set up in our home, facing the window and near a small table, where we enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the morning. It can be the public footpath near our neighbourhood where we take the dog during lunchtime when the sun is out. It can be a few moments of quiet at our office chair when we feel like we need a break from all the emails and meetings.

From her work in the Solitude Lab, she has discovered that short periods of solitude such as those mentioned above can dampen our strong emotions and open space for rest, relaxation and self-reflection. While it sounds as though such moments might be within reach, and they should be, many of us might find it challenging to carve out the time. During the talk, Dr Nguyen and Dr Netta Weinstein will share a few insights from their forthcoming book (Solitude: The Science and Power of Being Alone; Cambridge University Press, April 2024) that will help readers to overcome that hesitation to find solitude.

Dr Weinstein will then tell the stories of people who have spoken with our team about their everyday solitude moments within these spaces. Some were busy parents, whereas others had retired and had plenty of time to be alone. They came from around the world, and their views had been coloured by their family and cultural traditions. But their experiences and insights extend and connect beyond their specific circumstances.

Through the work of the SOAR Project, which studies resilience in solitude, she explores what we researchers have learned from the conversations that we’ve had. She interweaves their insights with research findings from quantitative studies that have tested how we can build everyday solitude moments that nurture peace and protect against loneliness.

You can find more information about the Solitude Lab and the SOAR Project at: https://www.solitude-lab.com/ and https://www.soarinsolitude.info/

Solitude: The Science and Power of Being Alone will be available to buy from March 2024 at: https://www.cambridge.org/ie/universitypress/subjects/psychology/social-...