Why Solitude is good for you and How to embrace your alone time

What does the word “solitude” mean for you? Does it bring a feeling of loneliness, fear, or discomfort? Or does it bring you to a place of openness in your mind and heart, a space that allows you to be still and in touch with your most authentic self? Learning why solitude is good for you and how to embrace your alone time can be one of the most valuable things you can learn in life.

If you are like most people, solitude is very likely something you would rather avoid by distracting yourself with people, social media, or any other possible activity. Living in the time we are, we are expected to be highly social and outgoing, and introverts are often looked at as boring or weird, etc. With the rise of social media and instant messaging, it is often too easy to stay glued to your phone screens all the time.

No matter how normal it may seem to be always connected to people or activities, it is not healthy for you. There is enough research today that shows the adverse effects this can have on your mind, body, and general well-being. 

In my personal experience, I’ve had many times I’ve had to be completely alone. Sometimes, it made me feel sad, depressed, unwanted, and feel all the other unpleasant feelings one could feel. 

However, over the years, I have learned to be more comfortable being alone. This has been a long journey of ups and downs, but right now I am at a point where being alone and bored is very normal for me. Hence this doesn’t have a very big impact on the way I feel throughout the day. It has taught me that being alone is completely okay. There is a lot of self-discovery and growth that comes with solitude. 

If being alone seems all too scary and unpleasant for you, keep reading as this article is all about why solitude is good for you and how to embrace your alone time.

Why is solitude good for you?

Oftentimes, solitude can lead to amazing discoveries about yourself and what you want in life. Not only does it train you to be more comfortable and content with yourself, but actually shows you the way on your spiritual path and even helps you generate creative ideas about your life goals.

Solitude can lead to beautiful things such as:

• Clarity on who you are and what you want in life
• Learn to be more accepting of how things are in life rather than trying to change it to a way that fits your narrative
• Look beyond your imperfections and be kind to yourself
• Space to be more creative and work on your life goals
• Being more content and peaceful with where you are in life
• Time to reflect on our day, and learn to be better every day
• Freedom from external voices and influences so that you can truly listen to your inner voice

Even though we know solitude is good for us, the majority of us would still find any available distraction rather than facing our feelings and being there in the discomfort. By avoiding being alone, we are keeping ourselves from all the growth and healing solitude can bring us. 

So, how can we change the way we think about solitude and look at it with more openness to embrace all the possibilities it can bring?

1. Wake up early

Becoming an early riser can be one of the most significant habits you can establish in your journey of personal growth. The quiet nature in the early mornings before the rest of the world is up can deeply enhance your alone time as there are few distractions. Using these magical hours of the early mornings to set intentions for the day, express gratitude, read, exercise, write, etc. can help you start being more comfortable with your alone time. 

2. Start small

Go out somewhere you can be alone. Maybe it’s the backyard of your house, a nearby park, your favorite coffee shop, or even just for a walk in the neighborhood. If you’re not used to spending time alone, the whole process can be a little daunting. That’s exactly why you should start small by spending small blocks of time alone. 

3. Meditation

If you’re already a meditator, then this is a no-brainer for you. You already know meditation is all about sitting with your thoughts and being the observer of those thoughts. In my opinion, this is the best practice to make yourself comfortable being alone. If you’re new to meditation, start small by just sitting down alone for a few minutes every day or a few times a week. Meditation is one of the subtlest yet most powerful experiences as it focuses on just observing. Through regular observation, you start seeing your thoughts for what they and with time, the power these thoughts (especially difficult ones) have over you will slowly fade away until it becomes just a fleeting thought that no longer affects you. Today, there is enough scientific research to show how meditation can reduce stress, boost your mental well-being and increase your self-awareness. 

4. Journaling

Spending a few minutes every day to write down your thoughts and feelings can be one of the best ways to embrace solitude and learn about yourself. It allows you to ask and express all the questions and thoughts without having to worry about what other people think. Over time, it leads to self-awareness and can give you great insights into who you are and what you want in life. 

Now that you know why solitude is good for you and how to embrace your alone time, it’s about time you took action to start a solitude practice. Like everything else in life, creating and sticking to a daily solitude practice is something that needs to be done intentionally. 

You probably won’t enjoy it at first, but I promise you, if you keep up for a while and are serious about it, it will eventually show you so many reasons to practice daily. There is so much growth to be gained from your relationship with yourself and I wish you all the best with your journey of personal growth.

If you have any tips or comments that you would like to share, I would love to hear them in the comments section below.