Does anyone need a lot of alone time ?

[SpanishTale]

Myself and a friend are the same. She's one of 8 so attributes getting no time to herself as a kid to being like this. Most of my dad's family are like this so maybe it's genetic ? Lol. I need a lot of time alone to function. I get ratty if I'm harassed or disturbed during this time.

Same. I can 'do' socialising, but always feel after everyone has 'caught up' and conversations turn mundane, I want to leave. I also NEED to leave, to recharge.
How people can Twitter on for hours is beyond me. Two hours is my max for socialising.

Yes. I live alone and could go through days barely talking to anyone. Some would hate that but it doesn't bother me. In fact, so long as the days don't turn into weeks, I quite like it.

My need for solitude is also one of the many reasons I have remained childfree.

Yes, I feel like I draw a lot of my energy from being alone. I am an only child and always loved my own company growing up, still do! I love my two young DC to bits but can only recharge properly when I'm by myself.

Yes that's me. Though it wasn't til this past 8-10 years. I loved having my kids around for 20-ish years and always enjoyed DH's company - most of the time. But now (at 50ish) I love my 'me-time,' and enjoy lone walks, and spending hours at a time on my own. I WFH - 20 hours a week too, and love having no colleagues to have to tolerate.

DH is different, and he wants - and needs to be with me. And he rarely goes out without me.

I go for walks sometimes to have some quiet time/peace. I do love DH, and enjoy his company most of the time, but he never goes out, and has no hobbies and no friends, just goes out with a couple of work colleagues for a coffee once or twice a month at lunchtime.) So he is a bit clingy and needy with me some days, and I crave being alone... not a LOT of alone time, but some - yes...

We have our own bedrooms, which is brilliant, because I can 'retire' to bed early if I want, and read/watch something on my phone/listen to some music, alone. And I can sleep - as I am away from his snoring!

I mean, I do enjoy DH's company most of the time to be fair, and we have some fun times, and lots of laughs, and many things in common. And we have enjoyable day trips/holidays etc/meals out etc... But I need time away from him sometimes. He doesn't get it, and wants to be with me all the time. And he gets a bit like when I express that I need to be alone sometimes. Like a hurt little puppy! 🐶. I don't know how I will cope when he retires. It will take a bit of adapting to! 😬

I absolutely would NOT like to be on my own permanently though. I love being in a couple, and I love being married/part of a family/having children etc... and I LOVED having my kids at home for 20-ish tears) And when DH has been at work for 4 days (he does 4-on/4-off,) I actually do miss him! And as I said, we do have some fun times together/meals out/nice holidays and daytrips etc, But when he is at home, he's a bit full on sometimes!

Absolutely. I love sundays as my partner is often out for at least 8 hours doing sports etc, and I can just have the house to myself and not speak to a soul. Bliss.

Left it too late to edit this bit...

(and I LOVED having my kids at home for 20-ish tears)

Should be 20 YEARS!

I'm very similar to you only I would say I was introverted. But then my understanding of introverted is needing time on your own to recharge, whereas extroverts get their 'energy' from being with other people. I don't agree with the old stereotypes of introvert = shy and socially awkward and extrovert = happy chatty, friendly - I think those have mostly been abandoned now. A lot of introverts have excellent people skills because they're good at listening and reading social cues, while many of extroverts are rubbish in social situations because they're stuck on 'transmit' mode (obviously not always, can work both ways).

I'm very friendly and can get on with most people, I just don't like doing so for extended periods!

I definitely need my own space and time to decompress

I can see between 30 and 50 people a week within my work and have a house with teens and dogs and a dh so my evening time is precious once everyone's settled.

I flip on the sofa with my phone and the tv on and literally can feel the days hecticness leaving my mind and body.

As a child I shared a room until I was 15 and then I moved out at 18 so it was hard to get space.

I've definitely got more introvert with age

I do and have had for the last 2 decades. Youngest is 9.
I don’t know what to do with myself if I’m on my own, much prefer company.

I need it. Don’t get it though.

Ahh ok, that’s interesting, I assumed you didn’t have kids. I love my DC to bits and I’m a SAHM so I spend a LOT of time with them which probably explains the need for alone time when they’re asleep after I’ve had a day of not even being able to pee alone and almost falling over them about 50 times a day as I get followed around everywhere and they’re never less than 2 inches behind me! 🤣

I’m very much like this. I found it a very hard thing about having kids, esp when they were little.

Yes, I am an introvert. People exhaust me. I enjoy seeing them, but I need time to recharge afterwards.

I also shared a room with my sibling until the age of 23 when I moved out. Even then, I was sharing a small flat with a man, so never had time alone.

Not really, I much prefer to be around people. I can hack a couple of hours a day (between getting home from work and dp getting home but much more and I go out or arrange something

Yes. I love socialising, whether that’s hosting, visiting or going out, but I simply couldn’t handle living with anyone except cats. It would feel suffocating and I’d never be able to really relax.

I’m deeply thankful that I never had to share a room with my sister as a kid because while we’re close now, I don’t think our relationship would ever have recovered from that.

Yes. I need it. I'm an ambivert, so crave deep friendships, social time, but also need time alone. Never been a problem.

I love DD and DH dearly but together they are a right chaotic pair. DD is funny, quirky, loud, amazing and DH is a kid in grown up clothing. So in order for me to function I need alone time...Sometimes I just need an hour, sometimes I need a day, but it helps enormously.

DH goes to the gym, does a massively outing hobby so he gets alone time too.

I think everyone needs space to some degree or other. It's definitely encouraged in our house.

Me. I’m an only child though and had ample alone time as a kid. It’s the hardest thing to get after I had a kid. Had to stop at one for my sanity.

This 'massively outing hobby' is cycling isn't it?

Or golf.

No hobby is 'massively outing.' 😆

@Oblomov24 ambivert - that’s me! Never heard this term. It’s the need for deep connection, and if not possible, solitude is preferable rather than light touch friendships. Feel caught though. Need people and feel isolated but not at any cost. Ambivert gives me a sense of insight and less confused by my behaviour.

I think @MrMrsDilligaf was joking about the hobby 😅

I found how much I needed alone time when DD was born, as that was when I stopped having any time to myself at all. The most important element of it to me is having the chance to think my own thoughts, without interruption or worrying about what someone else needs/wants/is getting up to. It's getting easier and easier as DD gets older.

I'm about to have a couple of days to myself for the first time in many, many years. I have a stinking cold, so am staying home to avoid passing germs on to MIL while DH and DD visit for Easter 🐣

Yes , I need it on a regular basis

Well he does have a bike, and golf stuff (covered in cobwebs)

But if I tell you his massively outing hobby you CANNOT breathe a word to anyone.

He likes to go fishing from time to time. He sits on a bank; all the gear, no idea - he catches bugger all.