This Easy Outdoor Habit May Be The Secret To Feeling Less Lonely
It sounds counterintuitive: spending time alone to feel less lonely. But new research suggests that's exactly what might help, as long as you're doing it in nature.
A study published in Health and Place1 found that spending time on or along a lake was associated with lower loneliness. Socializing wasn't the key driver, though. Instead, feeling connected to nature and emotionally attached to a specific place were the factors most strongly linked to reduced loneliness. Doing those activities alone was associated with an even stronger effect.
For anyone who's ever felt guilty about craving solo time (or wondered if their afternoon walks are "productive enough"), this is worth paying attention to.
What the research found
Researchers in Norway surveyed 2,544 residents living along the country's largest lake. Participants reported how often they engaged in activities like walking along the shore, swimming, paddling, and fishing, and how often they did those activities alone.
Connectedness to nature, described as a sense of kinship with animals, plants, and the broader living world, showed the strongest association with reduced loneliness across all three measures the study used. Attachment to a specific place (in this case, the lake) was also linked to lower loneliness, particularly the type related to feeling disconnected from a broader community.
Not every activity had the same effect, either. Walking along the shore, enjoying life by the water, and walking on the ice showed the strongest ties to feeling connected to nature. Exercising along the shore, interestingly, had the weakest association. Researchers suggest this may be because attention is directed differently; activities involving sensory noticing and aesthetic appreciation appear to deepen the bond with nature, while exercise-focused activity tends not to.
Why nature helps us feel more connected
So what's actually happening when you spend quiet time outdoors? The researchers suggest it comes down to two types of connection.
Internal connection: Solitude gives you mental space to turn your attention outward toward the environment rather than inward toward conversation or distraction. This can support reflection, mental clarity, and emotional regulation.
External connection: Feeling emotionally bonded to a place, whether it's a lake, a trail, or a park bench, creates a sense of belonging that doesn't depend on other people being present. You're not alone in the existential sense; you're part of something larger.
This helps explain why the effect was stronger when people did lake activities alone. Without the social component, there's more room for that felt sense of oneness with nature to emerge. And the extend well beyond loneliness, from reduced stress hormones to improved immunity.
Solitude vs. isolation
Here's an important distinction: solitude is not the same as isolation.
Solitude is chosen. It's intentional time alone that feels restorative. Isolation, on the other hand, is unwanted; it's the painful sense of being cut off from others.
The researchers are careful to note that both too much and too little time alone can be harmful. This finding does not mean isolating yourself in nature is a reliable path to well-being. It means that intentional solo time outdoors, when you're paying attention to your surroundings, may help ease feelings of disconnection.
It's also worth noting that this study is observational and cannot prove cause and effect. Lonelier people may actively seek out nature to compensate for unmet social needs.
How to put this into practice
If you're curious about testing this for yourself, here are a few ideas:
- Start small: You don't need a full day in the wilderness. A 20-minute walk in a green space or by water can be enough to shift your attention outward.
- Go alone on purpose: Instead of viewing solo time as a fallback when no one's available, treat it as an intentional practice.
- Pay attention: The research suggests that activities involving sensory noticing (looking at the water, listening to birds, feeling the air) deepen the connection more than exercise-focused activity. Leave the podcast at home occasionally.
- Find a place that resonates: Place attachment was a key factor in the study. Returning to the same trail, park, or shoreline can build an emotional bond over time.
- Be honest about what you need: If you're feeling isolated and craving human connection, solo nature time isn't a substitute for that. But if you're feeling overstimulated, drained, or disconnected from yourself, it might be exactly what helps.
The takeaway
Loneliness is increasingly recognized as a major public health concern, but solutions aren't always accessible or scalable. This research points to a simple, low-lift tool: intentional solo time outdoors.
The goal isn't to isolate more. It's to be more intentional about how and where you spend time alone. For anyone balancing a busy schedule, it's a reminder that stepping outside—even by yourself—isn't avoidance. It might be one of the most restorative things you can do, and a path toward a more psychologically rich life.