Alone vs Lonely – Benefits of Solitude

Do you think there is a difference of being alone vs lonely. What is that difference? Is solitude even important?

“I have to be alone very often. I’d be quite happy if I spent from Saturday night until Monday morning alone in my apartment. That’s how I refuel.”
-Audrey Hepburn

I hear you Audrey. Does anyone else agree with her? Alone, as an adverb, means solitarily or solely while lonely, as an adjective, means affected with, characterized by, or causing a depressing feeling of being alone; lonesome.  Doesn’t being alone sound much better than being lonely? Sometimes I need my alone time, my me time. This is not selfish by any means it just means I need, as Audrey Hepburn stated, time to recharge. Plus science backs this up and as a closet nerd I approve. 

According to Sherrie Bourg Carter Psy.D. article in Psychology Today there are six reasons why we should have some alone time:

1. Solitude allows you to reboot your brain and unwind.

2. Solitude helps to improve concentration and increase productivity.

3. Solitude gives you an opportunity to discover yourself and find your own voice.

4. Solitude provides time for you to think deeply.

5. Solitude helps you work through problems more effectively.

6. Solitude can enhance the quality of your relationships with others.

But how do you achieve solitude in this busy and connected age?

Disconnect

The easiest, and hardest, is to turn off your mobile devices, laptops, smart watch basically anything which sends you notifications. You can also place your items on airplane mode if that is better for you and leave them in another room.

Wake up earlier

I love that time in the morning where I am not stressing and I can drink a cup of tea, preferably black tea with lavender and a splash of oat milk, and read a book or savour my breakfast. Ps. here is a lavender latte recipe for you. Some people also take this time to meditate, do yoga, write in a journal or even just lay in bed enjoying the solitude.

Minimalism and Solitude

Minimalism is something close to my heart and I feel that the less stuff I have the calmer I am (okay, except for the occasional what to wear in the morning). The minimalist lifestyle saves up time for me to pursue other activities like cooking which is the main focus of Hold the Moo and also allows me a quick house clean. Plus I love the calm and neat aesthetic. How could you not peacefully wake up in a room like the below?

Designate Your Time of Solitude

This may not sound particularly amazing or ground breaking but have you ever thought about designating solitude time? It can be as simple as saying Saturday morning at 10 or 11am is your time without distractions, noise, even kids if you have them. I think it is fair that, even as a parent, you have time for yourself. Try to have once a week time for you even if this means asking your partner, parents or a friend to take the littles for two or three hours and make sure that if your partner watches the littles then that you return the act. Do not count work as your solitude time.

Speaking of work you should also block out part of the day to be able to focus on tasks. This is especially important if you have a lot of meetings or interruptions during the day.

How do you achieve your down time in this busy day? Let me know your tips and tricks below and help other. Have a great day!