Advice on relishing your alone time
By Natalie Schmitt
In this brooding world that salivates at the idea of consuming yourself in massive amounts of social interactions to satisfy an idealistic stigma, it’s imperative to find some time to ground yourself to the pure nature of existence, outside of the bearings of social media grasps, solely found within oneself. Nevertheless, while this solitude is fairly crucial to establishing inner peace within oneself, spending time alone can be quite fearsome for various people. Now the purpose of this article is not to input a melodramatic demeanor toward the modern concept of human existence, rather it is to exhibit the various ways we can allow ourselves to be accustomed to enjoying our solitude. Therefore, as someone who has found themself relatively at peace with their loneliness, I seek to use this space to provide my own tips for getting accustomed to enjoying solitude.
Breathe into your discomforts
When we find ourselves alone, we are conditioned to immediately remove the vacancy around us with TV or radio for distraction, company or simply just noise. However, of course, this itself isn’t an issue. Radio shows and television series can provide us with great inspiration, but it can become an issue when we are using them to avoid the feelings that arise when we spend time alone. So when that discomfort begins to creep in on you, instead of taking the easy bait (rushing to any kind of device for distraction), take a moment to stop and breathe into this uncomfortable feeling. This emotional discomfort is letting you know that there is something you need to pay attention to and nurture within you. Give yourself the wholehearted and gentle compassion you deserve.
Rationalize. Rationalize. Rationalize.
If you discover during this time you are becoming completely unsettled or begin to drown from the weight of these negative thoughts, an important key to remember is to rationalize the thoughts you’re having. Sometimes we aren’t even conscious of how unfair and biased we are being to ourselves. This bias prevents us from being able to see the problem through an external interpretation and potentially can help us resolve our internal conflicts at a much more expedited rate. We are allowing ourselves room for personal growth.
Indulge in Yourself
Ultimately, yet most significantly, your alone time does not have to be entirely curated by silent self-reflection and criticism. Your definition of solitude can be whatever fuels your aspirations and positive attitudes. Something as simple as treating yourself to a favorite meal, taking a painting class, going to a spa or maybe taking yourself to a museum exhibit you have been fond of. The point is there is no distinct way to indulge in yourself, as we are all divergent beings withholding varieties of originality. As long as you find yourself delighted by your alone time you’ll know you’re doing it right. Then hopefully you will realize it’s not so scary to be alone after all.