Being Alone

I've just arrived to Las Palmas, and I have already felt a beginning to self reflection, motivation, and focus I have a hard time getting in NYC. I've always known that I've worked better in solitary, for so many reasons. It increases my productivity, boosts my creativity, and has strengthened my relationship with others. But I am realizing that me wanting to be alone can be a little deeper than that. I think as a dancer, and really as people, its sometimes harder to be vulnerable to yourself. Especially in an environment that is ambitious and competitive, I feel that it is easy to mask your fears with other things around you. But when I'm here, I become vulnerable to my inner critics. It sounds negative, but in my case, I find it a good thing, and its a vital process I think anyone has to go through to really improve yourself as a person. I've always longed for this feeling in my daily life in NYC - but I've always felt overstimulated and distracted - whether it is family, friends, or relationships.
I did a little research on this topic, and not to my surprise, the benefits of solitude are praised by spiritual leaders, philosophers and artists. I also learned that being alone can free the mind from a phenomenon called the spotlight effect. When in public, we tend to overestimate the extent to which others notice our accomplishments and mistakes, and when alone, our brains can stop imagining that our actions are on full display. Very relatable statement.
But there are clearly also some down sides to solitude - including painful loneliness, depression, and overall physically bad for your health. So how much is too much alone time? It seems like it depends on the person. Right now, I already feel a sense of relief being here. But I guess we'll see how I feel after six weeks.