Solitude: The Value of Spending Time with Yourself by Cassandra Hill

Cassandra Hill is a Holistic Wellness Influencer, Life Coach, Best-Selling Author, and Speaker. After overcoming systemic lupus with a regimen she developed; Cassandra birthed Holistic Living Consulting. Her mission is to transform the health and well-being of black women

Some people love spending time alone. Others are more prone to feeling uncomfortable or lonely. Regardless of how you currently feel about solitude, there are many benefits to be gained by spending some time alone each day.

If you don’t like being alone, ask yourself why. If you’re not sure, try spending a few hours alone, without distractions, and see what happens.

Alone time can provide a sense of freedom that many of us lack in our day-to-day lives. It’s also a great time to relax and think.

Consider these benefits of spending time alone: 

1. You can do whatever you want. You get to do whatever you want when you’re alone. This can be a blessing if you have a spouse and children! Imagine, you can:
   
   

• Eat what you want.
  
  

• You control the TV remote and the radio station.
  
  

• You could nap.
  
  

• You can literally do anything you can afford to do without having to worry about making someone else happy.
  
  

• Make the most of the time you have alone, and you’ll grow to love having a little solitude in your life.
  
  

2. It’s easier to concentrate. Have you ever noticed how much more you can get done when everyone is out of your hair? It doesn’t matter if it’s at home or at work. Being alone is a great time to tackle those projects you never seem to have time to do.
   
   

3. You learn more about yourself in solitude. It’s much more difficult to be self-aware if you never spend any time by yourself. Your thought processes become more apparent when you’re not distracted by others.
   
   

• Ideally, spend an extended period of time by yourself each year. You could take a solo vacation. You could even just stay at home and let everyone know you’re not available.

4. You become more compassionate. When you constantly hang out with the same people, you naturally develop a feeling of “us versus them.” You’ll be more compassionate toward others if you regularly spend some time alone.

5. Creativity increases during periods of solitude. There’s a reason why artists, musicians writers, and other creative types go into isolation when it’s time to create. Your mind is much freer to wander and develop new ideas. Most people aren’t nearly as creative as they could be.

6. A little solitude makes you happier. Several studies have shown that people that regularly have some time to themselves are happier than those that don’t.

7. You can think deep thoughts. It’s hard to think about your life in a deep and meaningful way

when you’re surrounded by others. Your alone time is the perfect opportunity to work on your

bigger challenges, make big decisions, and ponder the meaning of life.

Schedule periods of solitude into your day. Avoid just using whatever free time you happen to have for solitude. It’s important enough to deliberately plan your day. And avoid just scheduling alone time. Plan how you’re going to use that time. Be productive with your periods of solitude. Having some alone time is a blessing. If you currently aren’t able to spend some time with yourself, make time. It’s one of the most important things you can do for yourself. Your creativity will increase. You can tackle big challenges. You can even just do whatever you feel like doing!

Make the most of the time you have alone. It’s one of life’s great pleasures. Enjoy your solitude and be thankful for it.

Cassandra Hill, Transformation Agent for Black Women  www.cassandrarhill.com