How do you feel when you are alone? When nobody is with you and there are no distractions around you? Are you able to take these moments to recharge your energy, gather your thoughts and be at peace? Or are these moments filled with anxiety, cluttered by thoughts and stress?
About 85% of people value their time alone and studies also show that older people value their alone time more than younger people. I don’t think this is very surprising because younger people generally feel they need to live while older people have generally lived and are happier to slow down the pace.
Nonetheless there is tremendous value in solitude not matter your age. These are the moments when you can slow down and be present, when you can do some self-reflection and let ideas flow through you.
I’m willing to bet that most of you reading this don’t get enough alone time and I’m also willing to bet that you also make the excuse that you’d like to spend more time alone but you don’t have time. For those of you who say this I’m going to call you out and say that’s bu$#%^&t. If you believe you don’t have time to be alone then you won’t and vice versa if you believe that you do have enough time to be alone then you will. If you need help with time management the please get in contact because I can help you with this!
I want to clarify here that alone time means just that…alone time. No smartphones, computers, T.Vs, podcasts and most importantly no people.
Artists and inventors frequently say that they get their best ideas when alone and there is no coincidence here because thoughts and ideas flow a lot freer when alone. But why is solitude so important?
Well lets first have a look at this from a physical point of view. When you are alone there is little to no external stimuli affecting you. You don’t need to be anywhere or do anything other than simply be. This naturally reduces your cortisol levels (the stress hormone), relaxes your nervous system, reduces inflammation and blood pressure plus a whole bunch of other great things which we will not get in to here.
As the body relaxes and balances the mind also begins to relax. Sure, there will be thoughts that pop in and out which is perfectly fine, but being present and alone puts you in a place where you can observe the thoughts rather than be the thoughts. This is generally the moment when artists and inventors get their great ideas.
20 minutes of solitude every day can have a significant positive affect on your mental health.
There are many ways you do have this alone time from simply sitting to have a bath (or even better an Epsom salt bath) or going to a bushwalk alone.
For those of you reading this who dread alone time because your mind is in overdrive or you have an excessing amount of stress in your life and you need to be constantly doing something as a diversion to take your mind off the stress then please get in contact with me. I can help you to become more centered and show you how to use these precious moments of solitude to reduce your stress and have more balance in your life.