Proponents of self-determination theory (Deci and Ryan, 2010) postulate that time alone that is intrinsically motivated (i.e., choosing to spend time alone) is better for one's well-being than time alone that arises for external reasons (e.g., one who is alone due to the nature of their work) (Chua and Koestner, 2008;Nguyen et al., 2018).
the experience of being alone may also differ as a result of when this state arises.