Isolation is not something to be afraid of. Take it as an opportunity to sit with yourself, explore your surroundings, or learn a new skill. Get comfortable doing things on your own.

There’s another type of isolation that can happen when working with people. You are intentionally isolated by others (or maybe you have isolated yourself!). This may be due to different belief systems, personality differences, or perhaps a lack of agreement about the way forward.

There’s no need to panic in this situation. You can work to understand the differences between you and the people around you and build a bridge to them. Or you may decide that you need to walk away.

Over time I’ve realized that people come and people go. It’s important not to get fixated on maintaining all relationships all the time as this may set you up for disappointment as other people move on. There will be periods of isolation and periods of being with others.

Navigating this ebb and flow of people starts with knowing who you are and being comfortable being on your own as you figure out what situations work best for you.