Five Things That Happen When You Spend Time Alone

In a world of constant contact, you’ll be surprised what happens when you give yourself time to be alone

SPONSORED 4:16PM • 03/16/16

In our world of perpetual motion, we’ve lost sight of the importance of being alone. A never-ending “ping” has become our culture’s universal background noise. Whether it’s an incoming text, email, call, or Facebook status post of what you ate for dinner – everything is now worthy of social sharing.

A direct result of this interconnectivity is that we rarely have time to be alone. I’m not sure what is worse: being too plugged in or totally unplugged, but I recently had chance to completely disconnect when I stepped into a sensory deprivation tank for the first time.

Yes the pod looked like an alien cocoon and I can’t remember ever being in a place devoid of sight, taste, touch and sound, but there was something exhilarating about turning your mind off for a short time. I was never unconscious, but I did dream lightly and it made me realize that solitude is not just a personal and emotional plus; it’s also good for your professional well-being. To get the most out of it, you have to learn to enjoy spending time alone. While the benefits of solitude are numerous, here are my five favorites.

Recharge

Everyone, whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, needs time to recharge. And simply sleeping at night is not enough. The peace, quiet and solitude afforded when you are by yourself is essential to recover from the stress of daily life.

Learn to Trust Yourself

Being alone helps you form a clear understanding of who you are without the pressure of outside influences. It teaches you to trust yourself. Once you’re alone, you’ll discover what you’re truly capable of.

Improve Your Self-Esteem

Learning to enjoy time alone boosts your self-esteem by reaffirming that you are enough. Time alone lets you see yourself in a whole new light.

Appreciate People More

Time alone allows you to appreciate what you want out of life, and in turn, you’re more likely to make better choices about whom you want to be around. You may also come to appreciate the relationships you currently have a lot more.

You’ll be More Productive

Spending time with friends and family is fun, exciting and essential to life. But it can also distract you from things that are important to you such as hobbies, exercise or unfinished work. Spending time alone can be a great opportunity to make progress towards personal goals.

In the end, everyone benefits from a little solitude now and then. Take the opportunity to spend some time alone this week. You’ll be surprised how much better you’ll feel.