What do I think about when I’m alone?
/Compelling questions help to focus us to think more deeply and opens the door to self-examination.
Solitude
Your secret weapon
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve found that I’ve become much more of an introverted person. I get energized by spending time alone. This provides me a sense of freedom that I was lacking in my day-to-day life.
This is much different from my younger days. When I was by myself, I felt uncomfortable and lonely. Regardless of how you currently feel about solitude, there are many benefits to be gained by spending some time alone each day.
If you’re uncomfortable with being alone, I invite you to explore why. Try spending a few hours alone, without distractions, and pay attention to see what thoughts and feelings arise.
Consider these benefits of spending some time alone:
You can do whatever you want. You get to do whatever you want when you’re alone. This can be a blessing if you have a spouse and children! Imagine, you can: Eat what you want, control the TV remote and the radio station, or take a nap. Make the most of the time you have alone, and you’ll grow to love having a little solitude in your life.
It’s easier to concentrate. Have you ever noticed how much more you can get done when everyone is out of your hair? It doesn’t matter if it’s at home or at work. Being alone is a great time to tackle those projects you never seem to have time to do.
You learn more about yourself in solitude. It’s much more difficult to be self-aware if you never spend any time by yourself. Your thought processes become more apparent when you’re not distracted by others. Ideally, spend an extended period of time by yourself each year. You could go camping or backpacking by yourself. You could even just stay at home and let everyone know you’re not available.
You become more compassionate. When you constantly hang out with the same people, you naturally develop a feeling of “us versus them.” You’ll be more compassionate toward others if you regularly spend some time alone.
Creativity increases during periods of solitude. There’s a reason why artists, musicians, writers, and other creative types go into isolation when it’s time to create. Your mind is much freer to wander and develop new ideas. Most people aren’t nearly as creative as they could be.
A little solitude makes you happier. Several studies have shown that people that regularly have some time to themselves are happier than those that don’t.
You can think deep thoughts. It’s hard to think about your life in a deep and meaningful way when you’re surrounded by others. Your alone time is the perfect opportunity to work on your bigger challenges, make big decisions, and ponder the meaning of life.
To get the most benefit from this practice, schedule periods of solitude into your day. Avoid just using whatever free time you happen to have for solitude. It’s important enough to deliberately plan into your day. And avoid just scheduling alone time. Plan on how you’re going to use that time. Be productive with your periods of solitude.
I’ve found that some alone time is a blessing. If you currently aren’t able to spend some time with yourself, I invite you to make time. It can be one of the most important things you can do for yourself. Your creativity will increase. You can tackle big challenges. You can even just do whatever you feel like doing!
Make the most of the time you have alone. It’s one of life’s great pleasures. Enjoy your solitude and be thankful for it.
