Many people find the holidays to be very stressful. It's a busy time of year. That's why taking a break from parties, shopping and other obligations to spend time alone can help relieve stress.

Almost half, 46 percent, of respondents to a recent 1,000-person survey from The Ohio State University said they don't get the alone time they need during the holidays. Fifty-six percent said spending enough time alone is important for their mental health.

One size does not fit all. People need to find ways to carve out alone time that work best for them.

It's not selfish to spend time alone, Sophie Lazarus, corresponding researcher for the survey, told TheDoctor in an email. “Just because you are prioritizing yourself at this moment does not mean you always choose to prioritize yourself over others,” Lazarus said.

Alone time is important to mental health. It helps people be more present and engaged when they are around others. “Alone time lets us reflect, regulate and replenish,” said Lazarus, a clinical psychologist and associate professor of psychology and behavioral health at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

Unfortunately, time alone is hard to come by during the holidays. People need to find ways to carve out alone time that work best for them. “One size does not fit all,” said Lazarus. She encourages people to be flexible and seek a balance between time alone and time spent with others.

You can build a little alone time into your days. Lazarus offers some simple ideas that don't require big changes: Try putting your smartphone in another room to resist the urge to keep checking it. Make it point to take two or three minutes alone in the car when picking up the kids or returning to the house after work.

“Me time” can also be a chance to engage in self-care activities such as creative hobbies or spiritual pursuits, Lazarus pointed out.

Try putting your smartphone in another room to resist the urge to keep checking it, or make it a point to give yourself two or three minutes alone in the car when picking up the kids or returning to the house after work.

Alone time does not always mean being alone. Lazarus said some people take alone time by going to the movies by themselves, taking a walk in a crowded park or going to a coffee shop. “Alone time can also mean not having to interact socially in a direct way,” she said.

Time spent alone is not the same thing as social isolation.

Age makes a difference, too. Older people responding to the survey, those who were 65 years old and older, were less likely than younger respondents to agree that alone time was important for their mental health or say they wanted more time alone. Lazarus believes this may be because older adults already have more alone time than younger adults and may actually benefit from more social connection.

The OSU researchers are currently planning a study looking at the effects of mindfulness-based interventions on loneliness and social connection among older adults.

The survey results are published on The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center website.