Certain circumstances in life have taught us a lot of things to ponder. Although it causes us to experience difficult times, it makes us create better and stronger versions of ourselves.
We learned various lessons from what we encountered, and we realized several things we had never thought of before. One of these is that being alone does not always connote a negative meaning.
As a matter of fact, being alone does not mean you’re lonely. We should realize how a “Me-time” can provide several benefits.
- We learn to ask for help, but we find the hero in ourselves when we acknowledge our personal strengths.
- We acknowledge the fact that we need to be more patient, more compassionate, and stronger.
- And most of all, we learn that by being alone, we can achieve more.
Being Alone is not Being Lonely, Here’s Why
There’s a saying that goes, “No man is an island.” That is true in some ways, but
A contributor to Forbes.com, Amy Morin, wrote an article, “7 Science-Backed Reasons You Should Spend More Time Alone,” wherein she discussed several advantages of why you should spend some time alone. Listed below are the reasons, as stated in the article:
- Spending ‘alone time’ increases empathy
- Being alone can spark creativity
- It increases productivity
- It aids in knowing yourself better
- It can be a time to make plans for your life
- It can build mental strength
- It can also help lessen problems in behaviour among kids
Another article stated the difference between being alone and lonely. A part of the article mentioned:
“It is important to remember that being alone and loneliness are two very different things. Loneliness involves being isolated despite wanting social connections, where being alone means taking time for yourself between regular social interactions.”
The article also enumerated some benefits of solitude. These include:
- It can help build and maintain positive relationships
- You feel good spending time alone
- It is voluntary
- It can aid in re-establishing social groups when desired
Being alone can be the perfect time to ponder on important things – what’s too much and what seems to be missing.
If you want to utilize your time being alone to make you productive and achieve more, you should also be willing to make an effort and enjoy doing some helpful tips.
How to Stay Productive While Having a “Me Time”
The following are some tips you can consider to make the most of your ‘Me-time’:
#1 Keep a journal
Spending time alone can be a great moment to welcome new ideas, insights, and perspectives. Write them down in a journal. Keeping them on ink will help you not to forget those bright ideas. Journaling is one of the most effective ways of writing down your dreams. Even the most successful people in the world can testify to that. Your journal is best written when alone when you can focus on what you want to accomplish.
#2 Visualization
Visualizing your dreams and seeing yourself succeed is an effective way to increase your confidence. It can motivate you more because your imagination is limitless. Visualization also gives you the opportunity to “picture” what you will become. It provides the power to become someone better while accomplishing amazing personal and career goals.
#3 Reminisce your dreams and aspirations
Being alone is also a perfect time to reminisce about your dreams and the lovely plans you’ve made before. Try to be nostalgic. We may have noticed that it is easier to dream when we are young. We tend to have wonderful dreams before that we feel we can easily achieve in no time. We are so inspired, so motivated because the dreams are very clear on our minds and hearts. We feel that we can overcome everything for the sake of our dreams.
However, due to some reasons, that motivation subsides. We lost that passion for dreaming, and we often forget how inspired we are before. It could be due to stress, a busy life, or even the changes in our preferences. We then create chaos instead of harmony in making plans for our lives. We often choose to listen to what other people say instead of focusing on what we believe we can do and achieve.
At the moment of being alone, we can then reminisce and remember what we’ve been dreaming about before. We can resume that passion and inspiration. Finally, we can be back on track and still achieve the biggest dreams we have.
#4 Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses
Having a “Me-time” can also be the moment to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. Look into some patterns in our life- the failures, the successes, the trials, and the triumphs. Although it is not right to stay focused on the past, it can be helpful to recognize the wrong decisions that you made so as not to have them repeated. The moment you analyze your strengths and weaknesses, you will then have a better opportunity of creating better and smarter plans for the future. We may all be entitled to commit mistakes because we’re humans, but we can still become stronger and more motivated individuals.
#5 Reward yourself
It feels wonderful when you receive something out of your own merit. It feels good when you see yourself succeeding after you’ve given your full effort and time to your dreams. Reward yourself with anything your heart desires. Sharing is caring, but you can also reward yourself alone to make you better appreciate the results of your hard work.
#6 Have some ‘pampering time’
During your “Me-time,” you can have some activities that will help you bring back the glow and passion inside you. Go to a spa and have a pampering treat for yourself. Have a vacation in a place you’ve never been to. You’ll surprise yourself with what awaits you in that place.
#7 Learn something new
Another achievement you can have is learning something new and applying it to enhance your career. You can try new things such as cooking, creating a cute craft, or learning a new skill. You can sign up for a new course (there are various courses available online, free, and premium). You will definitely thank yourself later when you discover how your new learnings will help you improve your career in the future.
There are times we need to isolate ourselves from the various hatred and negative factors out there. We need to be alone to discover a lot more. Because of being alone, sometimes, we can better focus on what we really need to pay attention to. We can then bring back our passion for delivering the good from being a dreamer to an achiever.
Remember that being alone doesn’t mean you’re lonely. This is actually a time that you can think more, do more, and achieve more.
