When you are alone, that is the time to deepen your relationship with the most important person from your life – YOU! Very often we don’t see it as a chance to improve the relationship with ourselves, but as a painful experience through which we have to pass. We cannot enjoy the solitude because we are not comfortable being alone and we are not used to the self-introspection. When being alone we are feeling an inner emptiness, while being with other people we feel connected. It is an illusion of a true connection, because in the absence of a connection with the Self, is is very difficult to genuinely connect to others. 

Living alone, even for short periods of time, is generally considered as some sort of failure or punishment. It is not easy to say goodbye to the coziness of a family circle and to the support of friends and to try to reflect on your ultimate goals and values. We have so many different devices that demand our attention that we find ourselves constantly needing to check messages, write replies and update Facebook statuses. Even when we are not working, we are constantly coming up with new plans for fun activities on the weekend: brunches and drinks with girlfriends, happy hours with colleagues and seeing a movie on Wednesday. Being so busy brings the impression of feeling connected to others, while we are feeling lost in our own head and soul. That’s why the ultimate need is to take time for us and why not, go to take a walk in the woods.

But very rarely could we afford to take this time, only for us, because busyness is a given in our lifestyle, nowadays. The whole world is in a constant hurry and asking for some moments of solitude has become a real luxury. Our comfort zone is the usual noise we are part of and when we take some moments of solitude we risk to abandon this comfort zone and to go in the unknown. It is very strange that being alone with us is so unfamiliar and we are so anxious in front of such a situation. Such a scenario is viewed as the worst case scenario, while we should take profit of being disconnected from the mundane noise, and having the opportunity to clear our mind, to be in touch with our feelings and thoughts.  Sometimes, when we get exhausted, without energy, even though we might fear an eventual depression, it is a sign that we need a time with ourselves. Sometimes, even the deepest depression is a symbol for a reclusion need, for going back to our Self, to our inner essence.  Beyond the modern noise, we need to fulfill our inner batteries and to take a break from the exterior, our solitude being nothing than an opportunity to reinvent ourselves, to reconnect and to re-create us.

Instead of seeing loneliness as a negative thing, you could see it as an opportunity and ask ourselves what can you do during this period? Sometimes solitude comes after a break-up, a loss of a loved one and sometimes it is a personal choice. In all the situations, we need to face different challenges, but after finding a balance, solitude becomes an extremely rewarding experience. If we are looking at the solitude from another perspective, we could see it as chance to stop the rush from place to place and to slow down while enjoying our own company. Being alone doesn’t mean you have to be lonely, but it does give you time for thinking, reflecting, and being grateful. Being alone means giving yourself some time to realize that you are your most valuable company.