{"id":191,"date":"2020-06-12T06:56:25","date_gmt":"2020-06-12T06:56:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sisteranne.co.za\/?page_id=191"},"modified":"2020-07-04T11:00:52","modified_gmt":"2020-07-04T11:00:52","slug":"solitude","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sisteranne.co.za\/?page_id=191","title":{"rendered":"Solitude"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A recent article in Inc. by the author Amy Morin reflected\non the importance of solitude. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She notes that: \u201cIt is important to spend time around\npeople. You can improve your habits and learn new things when you’re surrounded\nby interesting people. Of course, much of life’s biggest joys stem from our\nrelationships. But too much “people time” might also be a bad thing.\nOur digital devices often make us feel like we need to be connected 24\/7. And\nall of the noise, activity, and hustle can wear you out – and ironically can\nleave you feeling lonelier than ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solitude is an essential component to your health and\nwell-being. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many people, throughout the world, are already feeling\nlonely. And there’s evidence that says loneliness is becoming a health\nepidemic. Being alone and feeling lonely are two completely different things,\nhowever. Many people feel lonely even when they’re in a crowded room. And some\npeople spend lots of time alone without ever actually feeling lonely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, building more solitude into your daily life might\nactually reduce your feelings of loneliness. Solitary skills take practice if\nyou’re not used to being alone, but over time, you can grow more comfortable\nwith being by yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But shirking loneliness isn’t the only reason you should spend more time in solitude. There are many other reasons spending time alone can help you build the mental strength you need to reach your greatest potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

1. Solitude helps you get to know yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you’re by yourself, you make choices without outside\ninfluences. You can choose how to spend your time without worrying about anyone\nelse’s feelings. Making choices on your own will help you develop better\ninsight into who you are as a person. Being alone will help you grow more comfortable\nin your skin as well. The more you know yourself, the better equipped you’ll be\nto be your authentic self when others are around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Alone time could improve your relationships. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spending time with friends, family and colleagues\ncontributes to a “we vs. them” mentality. Although unintentional,\nyou’ll see people who don’t fit into your inner circle as different from you\nand you’ll develop less empathy for them. Spending time alone breaks down those\nbarriers. Studies show you’ll develop more compassion for other people when you\nset aside time for solitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Solitude boosts creativity and productivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There’s a reason that artists, musicians, and authors seek\nsolitude when they want to create something. A private space, whether it’s a\nsecluded studio or a cabin in the woods, allows them to be more creative.\nStudies confirm that being alone often fosters creativity. In addition to\nboosting creativity, solitude also skyrockets productivity. Studies\nconsistently show people perform better when they have privacy (which means\nopen floor plans make terrible work environments).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Solitude improves psychological well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning how to be comfortable by yourself may take some\ngetting used to. But solitary skills could be help you become mentally\nstronger. Studies have found people who set aside time to be alone tend to be\nhappier. They report better life satisfaction and lower levels of stress.\nThey’re also less likely to have depression. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Being alone gives you an opportunity to plan your life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While it’s important to have joint goals with your romantic\npartner, family members, or business partner, you also need to make sure that\nyou’re living your best life as an individual. Be proactive about planning out\nyour life, similar to the way you might plan for retirement or plan a vacation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Setting aside time to be alone can help you reflect on your\ngoals, dreams, and aspirations. Take a break from the hustle and bustle to\nthink about whether you’re living life according to your values and whether you\nmight want to make some changes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At this point in the article, she looks for ways to be able\nto set aside time to be alone. This opportunity has just been gifted us by\ncircumstances leading to our lockdown status. So, take advantage of this chance\nand get to know yourself in other ways, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amy concludes that \u201cIf you’re not used to solitude, the silence and lack of activity can feel uncomfortable at first. But, setting aside time to be alone is an essential component of building mental strength and living a rich and full life.\u201d Indeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A recent article in Inc. by the author Amy Morin reflected on the importance of solitude. She notes that: \u201cIt is important to spend time around people. You can improve your habits and learn new things when you’re surrounded by interesting people. Of course, much of life’s biggest joys stem from our relationships. But too […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sisteranne.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/191"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sisteranne.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sisteranne.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sisteranne.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sisteranne.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=191"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sisteranne.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/191\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":207,"href":"https:\/\/sisteranne.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/191\/revisions\/207"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sisteranne.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=191"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}