We all like spending time with our loved ones, at some level we all are social butterflies and feel energised after a joyful outing or an evening of gathering. As much importance as we give to our work and family, the time that we need for ourselves is often sidelined and ultimately, ignored.
Taking time out for ourselves has various established benefits and positive influences on our lives. Solitude has many impacts on our mental health and emotional health. We sat down with popular columnist and author Ms. Devina Kaur to discuss the importance of alone time and how essential it can be for your mental health.
Devina Kaur Born and raised in India, Devina Kaur is an inspirational speaker, author, radio host, and the founder of the Sexy Brilliant Non-Profit Foundation. Her weekly columns are all based on the KAUR™️ process. In 2019 she was the recipient of the Canadian top 25 immigrant awards. She is also the author of the spiritual self-help book Too Fat, Too Loud, Too Ambitious.
Self-exploration
When you embrace solitude, you get ample time to sit alone with your thoughts and know more about yourself and dive deeper within yourself. It is vital that before taking any new step in our lives, we analyse what the consequences will be and if it is the right decision for us to make. The more we spend time knowing ourselves, the more aware we will be of ourselves; we can make informed decisions and learn and grow to be more comfortable in our skin. Spending time alone also enhances our personality traits and helps us discover more about ourselves and our interests without the fear of judgement from the outside world.
Become More Mindful
With all the influences from the outside world, we often forget about our own voice and position in our surroundings. Spending time in stillness and silence, helps us become more mindful of ourselves and our surroundings. You can choose to spend your alone time in meditative sessions or go out for walks. This makes us more aware of our companions, situations and predicaments that we often find ourselves in. We become more appreciative and grateful for the things that we have in our lives while embracing the idea of impermanence which in turn helps with accepting our flaws and pains and realising that like every other thing in the world, they are also temporary.
Boosts Your Creativity And Productivity
Solitude helps us tune out all the voices from the outside and spend more time with our thoughts and ideas. With no care for the world, we can let our focus be inward–toward our thoughts and imaginations. This allows our brain to wander into the unknown and enhances our creativity by a notch. Solitude has also been known to increase productivity because many people like to work in their own space and appreciate it when they are provided with some privacy to work with. Solitude also increases concentration and focus while you are engrossed in your work.
Unwind And Relax
Oftentimes, we hear the opinions of others and let them affect us. Because of people-pleasing, we can become less confident and seeds of self-doubt are planted in our minds. When we spend some time alone, we get a chance to release all the negativity from our bodies and are presented with an opportunity to unwind. Once we let go of our worries and negativity, we gain a new perspective on life that evidently helps us with our moods, irritability, and social anxiety. The next time you feel short-tempered or overwhelmed, know that it is your body telling you to take some time off from the world and enjoy your own company. After spending time with yourself, you will also feel energised and replenished to rejoin the social circle and enjoy more fully and heartedly.
Always remember spending time alone with yourself and self-study is the original sexy.
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