Being alone and being lonely are different conversations.

Loneliness is about missing connection. Solitude is about the absence of company, which can be perfectly comfortable and is often chosen. They get treated as the same thing, which means people flee good solitude out of fear of a feeling they were not actually having.

When you are alone and it feels bad, ask which of the two is happening. If it is loneliness, the answer is connection, and it is worth reaching out specifically rather than filling the time. If it is only the absence of noise, the answer may be to stay with it a while longer.