Starcast Join the waitlist
Change Your Mind with New Scientist

Change Your Mind with New Scientist

Solitude - How Time Alone Can Strengthen Your Mental Resilience

Jul 2, 2026 · 44m

Coming soon to iPhone. Already have it? “Listen in Starcast” takes you straight there.

On this episode

About this episode

Health Journalists Cat de Lange and Helen Thomson just want some time to themselves... but not everyone feels that way, for others moments alone can be deeply uncomfortable. Research shows that solitude could be incredibly important for our mental health, so whether we’re craving it or avoiding we should probably learn how to do it right, In this episode of Change Your Mind from New Scientist, Helen and Cat explore the surprising science of solitude. Including how it differs from loneliness, and why time alone can sometimes even improve our connections with other people. They’re joined by Professor Netta Weinstein, a psychologist at the University of Reading and co-author of Solitude: The…