Nathan López Bezerra
Spending time alone in nature may help reduce loneliness, according to new research. A study published in Health and Place found that time spent on or along a lake was linked to lower loneliness. Socializing was not the main factor. Instead, feeling connected to nature and emotionally attached to a specific place were most strongly tied to reduced loneliness. Doing those activities alone was linked to an even stronger effect.
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 them alone.
Connectedness to nature, described as a sense of kinship with animals, plants, and the broader living world, showed the strongest link to reduced loneliness across all three measures used in the study. 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. Walking along the shore, enjoying life by the water, and walking on ice showed the strongest ties to feeling connected to nature. Exercising along the shore had the weakest association. Researchers suggest this may be because attention is directed differently: activities that involve sensory noticing and aesthetic appreciation appear to deepen the bond with nature, while exercise-focused activity tends not to.
Why nature helps people feel more connected
The researchers suggest two types of connection are at work.
Internal connection refers to solitude giving mental space to turn attention outward toward the environment rather than inward toward conversation or distraction. This can support reflection, mental clarity, and emotional regulation.
External connection refers to feeling emotionally bonded to a place, whether a lake, a trail, or a park bench. This creates a sense of belonging that does not depend on other people being present. People are not alone in the existential sense; they are part of something larger.
This helps explain why the effect was stronger when people did lake activities alone. Without the social component, there is more room for that felt sense of oneness with nature to emerge. The benefits extend beyond loneliness to include reduced stress hormones and improved immunity.
Solitude vs. isolation
Solitude is chosen and intentional time alone that feels restorative. Isolation is unwanted and involves the painful sense of being cut off from others.
The researchers note that both too much and too little time alone can be harmful. The finding does not mean isolating oneself in nature is a reliable path to well-being. It means that intentional solo time outdoors, when paying attention to surroundings, may help ease feelings of disconnection.
The 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
For those curious about testing this, the researchers offer several suggestions.
Start small. A 20-minute walk in a green space or by water can be enough to shift attention outward. A full day in the wilderness is not necessary.
Go alone on purpose. Instead of viewing solo time as a fallback when no one is available, treat it as an intentional practice.
Pay attention. Activities that involve sensory noticing (looking at the water, listening to birds, feeling the air) deepen the connection more than exercise-focused activity. Leaving the podcast at home occasionally can help.
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 is needed. If feeling isolated and craving human connection, solo nature time is not a substitute. But if feeling overstimulated, drained, or disconnected from oneself, it may be exactly what helps.
The takeaway
Loneliness is increasingly recognized as a major public health concern, but solutions are not always accessible or scalable. This research points to a simple, low-lift tool: intentional solo time outdoors.
The goal is not to isolate more. It is to be more intentional about how and where time alone is spent. For anyone balancing a busy schedule, stepping outside alone is not avoidance. It may be one of the most restorative activities and a path toward a more psychologically rich life.
