145. Spending time alone might improve your health
Dr. David Geier is an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist in Charleston, South Carolina and Charlotte, North Carolina. He helps athletes and active people feel and perform their best, regardless of age, injuries and medical history. He has been featured in major media publications and shows over 2,500 times throughout his career.
It appears that spending time alone might improve your sense of well-being – if you are doing it by choice. In a new study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies, Israeli researchers followed over 150 students who described their social experiences three times a day for ten consecutive days. They reported their feelings at the time of the experience as well as whether they were in this situation by choice or not. Not surprisingly, participants experienced greater happiness when they were with others than when they were alone. But people appeared to feel better if they were alone by choice than if they were with others not by choice. Whether it is being with others or being alone, it seems that our sense of choice in the matter largely shapes how we feel about social situations.
Through the stories of a dozen athletes whose injuries and recovery advanced the field (including Joan Benoit, Michael Jordan, Brandi Chastain, and Tommy John), Dr. Geier explains how sports medicine makes sports safer for the pros, amateurs, student-athletes, and weekend warriors alike.
