Alone Time: A Fundamental Need

While spending time alone is a fundamental necessity, during the 20th century and until now in the 21st century, we have witnessed an increase in the value placed on social relationships . Even though they contribute to our well-being, the perception of their lack is, in many cases, a source of fear and anguish.

There are several meditation practices that include spending time alone. In some of them, one of the tasks is to spend a few days completely in solitude and absolute silence, almost without contact with the outside world. Do you feel capable of doing this?

This is perhaps difficult for most people: we are not used to such a low level of stimulation. Isolating yourself and not experiencing any contact for a while is a litmus test. For this you will need training. However, if this is a periodic exercise among those who meditate, it is precisely because it has enormous benefits. Furthermore, well-managed solitude makes us stronger.

The company sometimes overwhelms

Social relationships demand a lot from us, especially when they are very broad and narrow. Besides, of course, they generate a lot of satisfactions. However, without you realizing it, it’s also something you invest a lot of your time and energy into.

We end up living for others. Work, partner, family, friends… There are many social areas in which we move, and each one of them has its demands and tensions. We often reach a point where we cannot clearly distinguish where our yearnings end and where the collective begins, or vice versa.

Spending time alone is a way to redirect our attention and energy to ourselves. An opportunity to be “selfish” without feeling guilty about it. These spaces help us to rediscover ourselves: to realize how we really are without the influence of this usual context.

A time alone sensitizes

In a way, solitude also imposes silence. There is a shift of attention from the outside to the inside. When you stop using the part of the brain responsible for speech, other areas of that organ begin to act more intensely.

In particular, there is evidence that attention and concentration are heightened. In solitude, thinking and wit develop. At first thoughts may be scattered, but it is normal for them to later acquire a more definite form.

If you spend time alone for several days, you will gradually become aware of it. This means that you will begin to notice ideas and feelings that you were not aware of. This is a way of ‘waking up’, of connecting with the dialogue you have with yourself.

Spending time alone: ​​effects on the brain

There are studies in which it is highlighted that solitude and silence benefit the folds of the cerebral cortex. Apparently, this makes the brain’s gray matter thicker. The result is that you become more proficient in processing information.

This has a favorable impact on your cognitive processes. When you return to your normal life, you find that you learn and memorize more easily. You get the most out of any intellectual activity, becoming more productive.

Furthermore, it is very likely that in these moments of solitude what they call “Eureka moments” appear, that is, sudden inspirations. In other words, these conditions facilitate the emergence of creativity.

To consider…

The ideal is to be able to count on at least 10 minutes a day to have time alone. This doesn’t mean being alone and locked up just like that, but having the time and space available to be with us. If not every day, at least three times a week.

Now, at times when we feel very “overloaded” or overwhelmed, it may be necessary to exercise more intensely. It is advisable to take a trip alone. You don’t have to go to the other side of the world, but it has to be a space that really allows you to ‘cut’ your routine.

Be prepared to experience some discomfort, especially if you haven’t done it before. Every change implies a certain resistance. However, if you follow ‘your moment of inertia’ for no other purpose than to be with yourself, you will find that it is an experience worth having.