The Art Of Being Alone

3 Ideas To Ponder

Our “always-on” culture keeps us “busy” and “distracted”, hurting our ability to be creative, have healthy relationships and be emotionally strong. It sends us in the dark, not knowing who we are, leading us to destinations we never intended to go. It’s important that we are aware of this, so we can find strategies to mitigate. Make space for solitude, to understand ourselves, to reflect, get creative and to practice mindfulness.

Technology has given us tools to create solitude in many places. A commute in a full and noisy train can be turned into a space of solitude by using headphones, turning off our surroundings. Though, next to the gain in experience we get from technology, we must look out for not becoming a victim to it, as it offers immediate access to cheap dopamine. Finding a balance between technologies strengths vs. its negatives is key.

Our happiness, emotional strength and understanding of self, depends on how we spend our time. Which is why it’s so essential that we don’t fall short on taking the space we need. Although, the need to spend time alone, is different for everyone. I do believe we can all benefit from it, by figuring out a good balance between social and alone time through experimentation and iteration. Knowing what we need, we can use time-boxing and good communication to ensure we have the needed space whilst helping people in our life understand our needs.

2 Questions To Ask

If you are completely honest with yourself, do you think you are giving yourself the space to be disconnected and be by yourself, to reflect, recharge and understand what you want and need?

If you are not happy by yourself, how will you be happy with others?

1 Quote To Get Inspired

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Have a great day!

Best, Tamino