Well-Being, Isolation, and Lockdowns in the UK

Abstract

Abstract Social connection is a key determinant of emotional well-being, yet the role of solitude in shaping both momentary affect and well-being remains understudied. This paper investigates how being alone while engaging in daily activities relates to subjective well-being, using rich time use diary data from the UK covering four distinct periods: pre-pandemic (2015–2016), the Covid-19 lockdowns (2020–2021), the relaxation phase (2021), and the post-pandemic period (2023). We find that being alone is negatively associated with momentary enjoyment, particularly in the post-pandemic period, but not during lockdowns or the initial relaxation phase, suggesting that the emotional cost of solitude depends on its perceived voluntariness and social norms. The enjoyment penalty is strongest for leisure and unpaid work episodes, and most pronounced among remote workers. Our results contribute to the literature on experienced utility, labor supply, worker time allocation, and remote work, highlighting the need to account for the emotional toll of isolation in welfare analysis and policy design.