Solitude Lab

Gràcies! 🙏 🎉

Check out the discussion in Catalan about solitude from the team of researchers at University of Vic @uvic-ucc.cat

Click on thread below 👇

Study shows the lack of ‘me time’ for new mothers - Durham University New mothers only have about an hour out of their waking day for rest, according to new research by our psychologists.

New paper! 📄 🎉
We used a mixed-methods approach to understand the perception of "aloneness" among new mothers. The research highlight the importance of support system for mothers' rest and self-care.
Read more 👉 www.durham.ac.uk/news-events/...
Our project 👉 www.solitude-lab.com/family-recha...

The Art Of Solitude Solitude Chapter Three: Ben and Principal Investigator of The Solitude Lab, Dr. Thuy-Vy Nguyen, explores the misconception that solitude is the absence of connection, as opposed to the…

New podcast episode 🎧 The Art of Solitude: radio.foxnews.com/2025/07/21/t...

In this episode of Searching for Heroes, our lab’s PI Dr Thuy-vy Nguyen joins Benjamin Hall to talk about how solitude can be a meaningful part of everyday life.

Give it a listen - and let us know what you think 🌿 😊

Thank you for your suggestion! We have recently looked into a few traits that are related to Sensory-Processing Sensitivity, including Introversion and Autistic traits. We found that individuals high on those traits tend to prefer solitude especially when experiencing social stress.

🧠 Meet the minds behind In-Mind: Social Media Team 🧠

✨ Anika Cukingnan
💼 Social Media Team
🎓 BSc Psych Student @durham-university.bsky.social, Summer Internship @thesolitudelab.bsky.social
🔍 Research interests: social, clinical & health psychology

#MeetTheTeam #Psychology #ScienceCommunication

Congratulations 🎉 to 3-year undergrad Anika Cukingnan ✨ who has been awarded the @durhampsych.bsky.social's Summer Internship. Anika will be helping our lab to process physiological data 📈 collected from a project looking at the effects of extended solitude on emotion and cognition 👏

Congratulations 🎉 to 3-year undergrad Anika Cukingnan ✨ who has been awarded the @durhampsych.bsky.social's Summer Internship. Anika will be helping our lab to process physiological data 📈 collected from a project looking at the effects of extended solitude on emotion and cognition 👏

Solitude as Sanctuary: Insights from a Neurodivergent Reader Writer: Thuy-vy NguyenSomeone wrote to me recently, a stream-of-consciousness reflection that has given me a lot of thoughts. They didn’t ask for advice or feedback. They simply shared. And what they…

For this post, we brought to you a reflection sparked by an exchange with a Solitude Lab reader💬. They reached out to share their experience with #neurodivergence 🧠 and how #solitude has been a nurturing space for them - to heal, think, and create 🌿.

Read here: www.solitude-lab.com/post/solitud...

If it was, Xiangyu must be living double life! 😁 He is currently fully dedicated to his phd in psychology.

Sometimes solitude is just you, the sky, and a jellyfish-shaped kite.
No noise, no rush, just wind, string, and stillness.

#SolitudeLab #QuietMoments #TimeAlone

Phd student Xiangyu Deng win poster award

Xiangyu Deng presenting his poster

Congratulations to our lab member Xiangyu Deng for winning the Poster Award at the Psychology Early Career Conference (PECC). Xiangyu is in his 1st year PhD and his first study uses #EMA to look at the interplay between social media use and cognitions in different social and solitary contexts.

Thanks everyone for another good year and best wishes to all those who are graduating and transitioning to the next journey of their career! 🎓 📈

We are analysing data for one lab study with the support from Dr Jonathon McPhetres and our PhD (Xiangyu Deng), MRes and PGT (Jack Thompson, Liam Duke, Aditi Mishra), and UGR students (Anika Cukingnan, Giselle Huntjens, Kazel Lim, Karolina Rostkowska, Janesh Uppala). 🔬

We are currently submitting 3 qualitative studies with the help of Beck Yarwood (currently looking for RA position) and Kritika Rao. We finished coding video recordings of 47 mother-child interactions; thanks to Becky Yarwood, Deborah Tetteh, and Riana Gulam. 👩🏻‍🔬 👩🏾‍🔬 👩‍🔬

Happy Friday! This week our lab had our end-of-year get-together and discussed the studies everyone has helped with this academic year. It is only appropriate to mark this occasion with some violin plots 🎻 🎉

The Evolution of Private Spaces: How Homes Transformed to Allow for Solitude Written by Thuy-vy NguyenOn 10 March, Solitude Lab will be meeting with the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government. In preparation, we reflect on how home design has evolved over time to…

🏡 For most of history, privacy was rare—people worked, ate & shared beds together. Over time, design changes (private studies, separate rooms, locking trunks) influenced how and where we find subjective and objective solitude.

🔗 Read more in our latest blog post: buff.ly/MPUIGsa
#Solitude #Privacy

Exploring Solitude and Loneliness with 11-Year-Olds: Key Insights from a Thoughtful Session Written by Thuy-vy NguyenGet involved: If you are a school or teacher who would love to have a session for your students on solitude, emotional regulation, and the power of choice, please reach out…

What does solitude mean to 6th graders? @thuyvytnguyen.bsky.social spoke with a class of 11 year olds, who showed nuanced understanding of solitude and loneliness. Choice and what they do alone are central to their solitude experiences.

✨ Read our new blogpost: www.solitude-lab.com/post/explori...

We Are Back! 👋 Our lab has taken a three-month pause to focus on a few key activities behind the scenes—but we have so many updates to share with you! From new blog posts and research findings to upcoming events and collaborations, there’s a lot happening.

Finding Joy in Solitude After Retirement Written by Becky YarwoodEdited by Thuy-vy NguyenSource: ‘Alone Time in the Golden Age: Pre-Retiree and Retiree Experiences of Solitude’ (Manuscript in Preparation) Relate…

Retirement brings more time alone—but how do retirees spend it? We interviewed older adults & thematically analyzed their insights. While some embraced solitude for hobbies & self-care, others faced challenges adjusting. Read their experiences: www.solitude-lab.com/post/finding...
#MeTime #WellBeing

whether new-found solitude during retirement can be a fulfilling experience also depends on what resources are available. Read more on this in the full preprint here: doi.org/10.31234/osf...

#Retirement #Solitude

3/ Many retirees gain a new appreciation for solitude, becoming more confident and comfortable with their own company. What was once overlooked or squeezed into busy schedules now becomes a valued part of daily life. However, of course there are challenges, suggesting that

2/ Solitude isn’t just about physical space—it’s also about mental separation from social pressures and conversations about work from colleagues that continue working.

Retirees experience greater freedom in how they spend their time, making solitude more intentional and fulfilling.

1/ Retirement reshapes solitude. Without rigid work schedules, alone time feels more natural and fluid, shifting from an obligation to an opportunity for reflection, hobbies, and personal growth.

Another preprint is out! 🚀 We explore how retirees experience and redefine (or plan for) their solitude in meaningful ways.

Check it out here: doi.org/10.31234/osf...

#Retirement #Solitude
Here’s a quick breakdown of key findings! 🧵👇

Our lab's attempt of creating a GIF (pronounced "gif" or "jif" 🤔).
This summarises recommendations delivered next week to the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government. We triangulated qualitative and quantitative on factors most valued by living-alone adults about their neighbourhood.

This post was inspired by an upcoming event on March 10 with the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government about how physical spaces shape the experience of solitude for those who live alone. We reflect on the history of physical spaces for solitude in the past and how they have evolved.

The Evolution of Private Spaces: How Homes Transformed to Allow for Solitude Written by Thuy-vy NguyenOn 10 March, Solitude Lab will be meeting with the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government. In preparation, we reflect on how home design has evolved over time to…

🏡 For most of history, privacy was rare—people worked, ate & shared beds together. Over time, design changes (private studies, separate rooms, locking trunks) influenced how and where we find subjective and objective solitude.

🔗 Read more in our latest blog post: buff.ly/MPUIGsa
#Solitude #Privacy

Retirement and Solitude: How Older Adults Spend Their Time Alone Written by Becky Yarwood   Source: ‘Alone Time in the Golden Age: Pre-Retiree and Retiree Experiences of Solitude’ (Manuscript in Preparation) This project was made possible by the support of Age UK…

23 older adults shared their experiences of solitude in retirement.

For some, alone time is a source of joy and creativity. For others, it can feel isolating. Our latest blog explores these perspectives through in-depth interviews.

Read more: https://buff.ly/4i4v90A

Read the full paper here: https://buff.ly/4hXKqAa
#Motherhood #Solitude #MentalHealth

Takeaways:
Time alone for first-time mothers, while abundant after baby, is not always restful.
Personal time is important for positive mood during this transition.
Support systems should ensure mothers get quality, self-directed me-time.