The benefit of alone time cannot be expressed enough. Find out how therapeutic solitary time and a solitary life is for some people and how you can embrace the peace of solitude in your own life.
Life can get crazy sometimes. By the time you get to the bottom of your To Do List, another one might already be forming. Wouldn't it be nice if you could take some time out for yourself and enjoy some peace, quiet, and “me time” in solitude? Believe it or not, you can. Join SpiritualBlossom to learn the benefits of solitude and why it’s not the same as isolation. Learn how even caretakers and parents can have a bit of solitude. Then, learn three no fail techniques for making sure you have some much-needed solitary time.
What is Solitude?
Solitude just means time alone. It means that you are basically in a place that is otherwise inhabited except for your presence. In modern times, it can be very difficult to find time to do this or a place where it's even possible. Sometimes solitude is silent, but others the sounds of nature or music can be heard. A lot of people seek out solitude in their own homes or gardens, but other people prefer to find it and the wilderness. Solitude is known as a time of peace and inner reflection and can actually be found surrounded by other people as long as you focus on your inner voice.
Solitude is something that has to be planned for a lot of times. After you work, do all of your errands, pay your bills, and take care of all your responsibilities, there may be little if any time left over before it's time to go to sleep. Not everybody gets to sleep alone. If you have a partner or children or pets, they may want to be with you at night. Solitude is something that some of these busy people wish and dream for. Some people lead a life of mostly solitude and can't imagine living any other way. One Zodiac sign that needs their solitude is Pisces and you can read more about them here: Pisces Zodiac Traits and Love Compatibility
Is Solitude Isolation?
Solitude can include isolation, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. If you are constantly surrounded by people who ask you to do things or who need you, having some time completely alone might be a welcome break from all of that. It doesn't mean that you're lonesome. It also doesn't mean that you are completely separated from everybody else forever. It just means that you have some time alone. Some people manage to find solitude in crowds or places like worship sanctuaries even though there are other people surrounding them.
Solitude can also be found in the company of the select few people who you are most comfortable with, and it can be found with animals. Solitude in the wilderness doesn't mean you're alone. It means you are surrounded by animals and the spirits of the wilderness as opposed to other people and the busy life of our modern cities. Solitude can also be found in your workplace focusing on only your own tasks and tuning out everything and everybody else. So, are you isolated when you're in solitude? Sometimes you are and sometimes you're not. You are never isolated amongst the flowers, but you can find solitude even surrounded by them. Read about the magic of flowers here: All About the Magic of Flowers
The Benefits of Solitude
Although some people fear a little bit of solitude, the benefits of a bit of solitude cannot be expressed enough. Things like stress reduction and time to focus and have self-reflection are valuable. Solitude will give you greater appreciation for the people who matter to you and increase your sense of independence. Read on to find out more benefits of solitude.
Stress Reduction
Secondhand stress is the stress that we get from the things that other people do. It is very rare that you can live a life without interacting with anybody else at all. So, chances are, at some point being around other people is going to stress you. Having some solitude will at least help you to step away from that type of stress for a little while. Other people bring their bad habits, problems that they want you to help them with, and just an annoying presence sometimes. Take some time away from workplace stress, family drama, or dealing with the annoying neighbors with some solitude. It will make you feel better.
Time to Focus
Distractions when you are trying to work will make you struggle to focus. Phone calls, emails, people knocking on your office door or showing up at your desk, and other things are caused by one thing- other people. Shifting your focus back from them to what you were trying to focus on in the first place can be very trying. If you're not surrounded by other people, it helps you to focus better. Some work just calls for solitude for better focus. Then again, sometimes call for the power of a team and you can learn about teamwork here: Teamwork: The Power of Strength in Numbers
Increased Productivity
A great benefit of solitude is increased productivity. If you don't have those distractions we just mentioned, and you can focus on exactly what you're doing instead of what other people want you to do, your productivity can increase drastically. If nothing else, sometimes, being able to listen to your own voice is helpful. Not having to stop what you're doing and do things for other people means that your work gets done faster. You may find it necessary to set time aside by yourself and tell everybody else not to contact you until you have finished when you want to increase productivity.
Time for Self-Reflection
One thing the presence of other people distracts us from is ourselves. We may be paying so much attention to other people, what they're saying, what they're doing, and what they need from us, that we become completely unaware of ourselves. Awareness of our habits, thoughts, and deeds can come from self reflection. That is easier for some people during times of solitude. Some people will use solitude for journaling and going back and reading what they wrote to ask them everything they need to know about themselves. One important thing to reflect on is your psychic abilities and you can learn how to develop those here: Developing Your Psychic Powers
Simplicity
Some people find that a life that incorporates solitude allows simplicity that a life void of solitude doesn't. Zero time to yourself and spending all your time on the go surrounded by other people doing countless things can be exhausting. Stepping aside from your busy schedule and allowing quiet time to decompress will simplify not only your emotions but your life in general. This can be done by focusing on just what's important and discarding other things.
Peace
Too much time with other people exposes your energy and emotions to an endless parade of dealing with other people's drama. Solitude will help to save you from that. That doesn't mean that you'll never be there for a friend, it just means that sometimes it's important to step away from all of that. Solitude can bring you quiet, in both your environment and in your own mind, and that will bring you peace. Some people find peace by learning how to forgive and you can read all about that here: How to Forgive: The Power of Forgiveness
Appreciation for Those Who Matter
If you constantly spend time with everybody who asks you to, you may find yourself overwhelmed by people. Carefully choosing who you spend time with and allowing yourself some solitude when you're not around them will give you a greater appreciation for those people. Our time is precious and should not be wasted on the wrong people. Balancing your alone time with spending quality time with the right people will help you to focus on the right relationships.
Increased Independence
Solitude can help you learn to rely on yourself more. Everybody needs people sometimes, but we don't need each other constantly. Allowing yourself some solitude can show you just how much you're capable of doing without the help of other people. It also shows you how well you can do things on your own, and you might discover that you do those things so well you don't want other people stepping in and involving themselves. You will feel an increased sense of pride when you accomplish things on your own you never knew that you could. So make sure to allow yourself the opportunity to. Aquarians can be very independent and you can read about that Zodiac sign here: Aquarius Zodiac Traits and Love Compatibility
Time for Your Passions
All of us are passionate about things in life. Solitude allows you more time for the things you love doing. Constantly being surrounded by other people means that you're going to do things for them and you're going to do things their way. Taking some time to be on your own allows you the time and space to think about what you are truly passionate about and then the ability to pursue those passions. So, give yourself the chance to pursue your passions instead of focusing on what other people want.
What if I’m a Parent or Caretaker?
Being responsible for the care of other people makes it more difficult to have solitude. You can still have some time alone, though. One technique that caretakers and parents who work outside the home have is to leave for work a little early and take the long way to work so that they can be alone with their thoughts on the commute. Some people wake up a little bit earlier than everyone else to get some quiet meditation time in before they start their day. Some parents will drop the kids off at a play date or with a sitter so they can have some alone time. As the caretaker of an adult, sometimes you can arrange nursing respite care so that you get some solitude. Don't give up having some alone time just because you're responsible for taking care of other people. When you’re a caretaker, some people think you are a miracle worker, but are miracles even real? Find out here: Do Miracles Really Happen?
Making Time for Solitude
Making time to be alone can be very difficult, but there are three techniques that you can use to guarantee that you have your alone time period. Turn down invitations when you need to, block off time for solitude and don't let anything interfere with it, and then be completely inaccessible to people while you're taking your solitary time.
Turn Down Invitations
If you’re lucky, you will have plenty of friends and family members who want to spend quality time with you. If you're very popular, you will receive a lot of invitations and you might receive so many of them, accepting them all means that you will have no time whatsoever to yourself. Go ahead and turn down some invitations and make room for solitude in your life. You can always get together with people another time. Time with friends is very important and you can read about how wonderful friends are here: All About the Love of Friends
Block Off Time
Set aside certain days and times when you embrace solitude. Think of it as making an appointment with yourself. Some people have alone time scheduled regularly and everybody knows that that cannot be compromised. Not everybody tells when they're alone time is though, and you don't have to unless you want to. Just make sure to block off time in your schedule for solitude and don't let anything interfere with it.
Be Inaccessible
Turn off your social media and cell phone, and don’t answer the door when it’s time for your solitary time. If you don’t give people any access to you, they can’t have it. They might knock on the door for a while, but when they realize you’re not going to answer it, they will have to go away. Making yourself inaccessible to other people will guarantee your solitude, even if it's just for a short time period. You deserve the alone time to focus on yourself. Your family might not understand your need for solitude. Is family worth all the trouble? Find out here: Are Relationships with Your Relatives Worth It?
Will I Die Alone?
Some people are afraid to allow themselves solitude because they think people will break off relationships with them if they do. Guess what? Everybody needs solitude, not just you. So, the right people will understand that you need some time to yourself. If you love someone and they become angry with you and threaten to abandon the relationship if you need a little time to yourself, it might not be a relationship worth keeping anyways. So, don't worry about “dying alone” or being lonely while you're alive. It's far worse to be stuck in the wrong relationships and letting the people who don’t care about you leave will make room in your life for better relationships.
Some people dread solitude, but you shouldn't. It's necessary for many things including your mental health and some time to get to know yourself better. It can be very difficult to get solitude especially if you're a caretaker or a parent, but even if it's hard to get alone time don't give up. Simple ways to make time for solitude include turning down invitations and making yourself completely inaccessible to other people for short periods of time while you decompress and enjoy the solitude. May you know the joys and the peace of solitude, knowing that being alone doesn't have to be lonesome. So Be It.
If you'd like some help finding ways to focus on yourself, reach out to one of our gifted psychics for advice. Someone is available for you all day every day.
About the Author: Lady Saoirse has studied magic and lore for most of her life but started walking her own Magical Path after being spiritually reborn in the desert. Today she is a High Priestess for The Temple of the Goddess, she is a psychic advisor and spiritual counselor, she shares her gifts as a Psychic and Content Writer for Mysticsense and SpiritualBlossom, and she writes for The Green Egg Magazine and PaganPages.Org emag.
