Surprising benefits of alone time (and quotes about being alone)

I’m a fan of solitude – for my emotional, mental and physical well being. In fact, there are some surprising benefits of alone time. For this reason I’ve written lots of quotes about the perks of being alone – and come up with helpful tips to make sure you get your alone time. Coming up I share it all… 

When I’m feeling stressed, I know it’s time to prioritize self-care.

One of the most effective ways I’ve found to do this is by spending time alone.

Sometimes this means journaling, going for a walk, or just sitting quietly with my thoughts.

For others, it could be taking a long bath in silence, spending some time doing nothing, or playing a game or two of mahjong online to help them relax and unwind

When I first started to take more alone time… I felt guilty for not being more productive.

And if you’re anything like me…

You’ve probably found that it’s difficult to carve out alone time… when you’re already feeling overwhelmed… juggling work, family, etc

But the truth is…

In order to take the best care of others…and put the best care into our work…we first need to take time for ourselves.

That’s why I wanted to share with you some of the many benefits of spending time alone.

Benefits of alone time

• Research by Matthew Bowker (a psychoanalytic theorist) reports that being alone can help us become more resilient, self-aware, self-reliant, and self-confident.
• A study in the British Journal of Psychology reports that spending time alone, instead of with others, can be helpful for happiness.
• A study at the University of Buffalo reports that people who spend time alone tend to be more creative and innovative (vs. those who are always surrounded by others).

Yep, consistently studies report alone time is great way to recharge your mind, body and spirit.

Plus there’s one more great benefit to being alone

• Spending time alone can also help you to become more self-aware.

When you’re by yourself, you have the opportunity to reflect on your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

This self-reflection can help you to identify important blind spots and opportunities for growth.

With all this in mind… here’s more of my perspective on alone time…

7 Quotes About Why I Love and Value Alone Time

`1. Quote – anti-social vs pro-me

2. Quote – Alone time if for your safety

3. Quote – It’s healthy to spend time alone

4. Quote – Happy Together vs Happy Alone

5. Quote – Time Alone = Figuring things out

6. Quote – Afraid of being alone vs being in bad relationship

7. Quote – Nothing saves money like being anti-social

5 Tips to Take More Time Alone…

1. Schedule your alone time – just like you would schedule a meeting or appointment. It doesn’t have to be a huge chunk of time—just 15-30 minutes a day can make a big difference.
2. Remember, it’s okay to say no to other things in order to make time for yourself.
3. Use your alone time to do something you enjoy (walking, journaling, Netflix-ing, etc) … or use it to just sit quietly and breathe.
4. Turn off your phone and other distractions, so you can fully immerse yourself in the moment.
5. If you’re not used to being alone, start small and gradually work up to longer periods of solitude.

Bonus Alone Time Tip:

Do something that’s not stressful. Now, that might sound fairly obvious, but the thing is, there are a lot of activities out there that are labeled as entertaining and relaxing that might only be just entertaining. You can think of video games as an example; there are some video games that can be labeled as very relaxing, such as Minesweeper. Sure, it might not be as glitzy as some video games, but for the most part, it can be seen as relaxing. 

But there are other video games, such as multiplayer online games or first-person shooter racing games, anything hard or competitive. They might be entertaining, but they’re not exactly relaxing – they can be stress-inducing. The same can be true for shows or movies that are constantly dramatic or contain horror. So, pick something that is fully relaxing; it doesn’t need to be entertaining.

Remember: being alone is not the same as being lonely.

In fact – being alone can even help you to feel less lonely. How?

When you take time reconnect with yourself… you can show up more fully in your relationships… and thereby start to feel closer to people!

Get more tools to feel more balanced and happy

Hire me as your Mindset Mastery Coach here.

Or… Join my therapist recommended online course The Anxiety Cure