Solitude is, in fact, healthy for the house. I am going to suggest that you try to carve out some time every day (if possible) to have a few moments of solitude. Can you spare fifteen even twenty minutes a day? We’ll go with every other day if that’s all you can spare – but remember a small amount of alone time on a very regular basis is better than occasional large chunks of time.
Here are some ideas to help get you started:
1. Put down your phone/iPad/laptop/remote control
There are many moments in our day, especially at the end of the day when we could all probably do with grabbing fifteen minutes to be alone. But instead, we tend to grab distraction. How much more time would you have in your life if social media didn’t exist? Could you give yourself a cut-off point in the day after which time you disconnect from it? Make sure all your devices are turned off or in another place during this special ‘you time.’
2. When could you be alone and undisturbed?
Could you set the alarm slightly earlier to enjoy the silence before the household wakes up? Could you turn the TV off a little earlier than usual to enjoy some silence towards the end of the evening? Could you do anything in your lunch break or during the day? It’s important to make a decision of when you can create a space for ‘alone time’ and to put that in your diary as a date.
3. Where and how could you practice solitude? What would work for you?
- Sitting in front of the ocean
- Sitting in your garden
- Connecting with nature
- Walking mindfully
- A short yoga practice
- Writing or journaling
- Meditating
- Taking a bath
- Breath work
- Even taking the time to enjoy a reflective cup of coffee
You get the picture, anything will do so long as it provides you with the space to be still. You might like to start your ‘alone time’ with some gentle breathing exercises just to calm yourself down and still your mind. You can also return to breathing gently if you find your mind is chattering and disturbing the stillness too much.
4. Solitude is about space and time out
It’s not about aims and objectives (there’s enough of those in everyday life). However, you could set a loose intention for your alone time. Here are some suggestions, feel free to add your own!
- Commune with your soul and connect with your innate wisdom & intuition
- Ponder creative ideas
- Reflect on problems or issues – see them from a new perspective or maybe re-frame them
- Tune in with your body, feel and then release tension
- Focus on and enjoy the sensation of breathing, one breath at a time
- Or think of nothing meaningful whatsoever… just gaze at the clouds
5. Make solitude a habit
The more you do this practice the more you will find it of benefit, the more you will want to do it. The hard bit is establishing it as a habit within your life and not sacrificing this special time to other demands. To keep the momentum going it will help setting time aside on a regular basis, it certainly helps if it’s the same window of time so that it can become an automatic part of your routine and not something that you have to remember to do.
In today’s constantly connected world being detached, quiet and alone is almost unheard of and yet there is so much to gain from it. As everything gets faster, busier and more invasive you have the opportunity through regular solitude to make a huge difference to the quality of your life and well being. Surely the chance to re-boot, re-fresh and slow the pace down sounds good? Surely being able to connect with yourself on the deepest level of your being would be of benefit? We certainly hope you’re tempted!
Louis Grassi 