“The monotony of days bleeding into one another, working with people, but only communicating via live-streaming, which has its own challenges, realising the need for exercise, and friendships seeming more disconnected as everyone struggles with their various situations — it’s taken a while, but I’m beginning to feel those extroverted pains.” For Cathy, a writer who also lives in London, regular time alone was something that she built into her life before the pandemic. “Aloneness is not about loneliness, but about being able to relax, stop giving out energy, and feel in control,” she says. “Although I’m a sociable person and enjoy spending time with others, I also really need a lot of alone time to maintain my energy and equilibrium. Without plenty of time alone every day, I quickly feel chaotic, unsettled, and anxious.”