Quality “You” Time

I admit it. I’m the type of person who loves alone time. Don’t get me wrong – deeply meaningful relationships with other human beings are a necessary and important part of my everyday. However, I adore, crave, and carve out vast amounts of time alone. As it turns out, solitude is a positive state, necessary to remain sane and healthy. Not everyone needs hours of time alone, but everyone needs his or her own personal balance between engagement with the world and engagement with self. nnWhy Be Alone?nnTime to Rediscover Self and Reevaluate Priorities People often want to accomplish big important things in their personal lives… Like achieving a fit and healthy body, overcoming an addiction, writing a first novel, or beginning a new self-based business. But one of the top reasons that stops them from achieving their goals is an inability to put themselves as a number one priority in their everyday lives. Deciding to spend time alone each day is an important step toward recognizing the value of putting self as a priority. nnBring Back Your Lust for Life You may be wildly busy in your life, but are you joyfully taking action on your most important dreams? It's easy to push your personal goals to the back burner and think you'll get to them tomorrow, next week, or next year. Unfortunately tomorrow never gets here. Each day becomes a repeat of the previous day. Living in a repetitive rut results in boredom and diminishing joy. To bring back your hunger for life, spend some time alone each day focusing on new experiences that would allow you to grow and branch out beyond the ho-hum of everyday living. To bring your dreams or personal goals back to the front burner, take a few minutes of alone time each morning and ask yourself these questions: What is really important in my life today? What can I do to nurture the core central relationships in my life today? What is one action I can take on the dream that is most significant to me?nnTime to Breathe and Release Stress Levels Stress happens when we believe that we do not have the time, experiences, or resources to deal with a challenge or situation. Feeling pressured and anxious about a perceived unsolvable or impossible situation, our bodies release adrenaline and gear up for a fight or flight response to handle the immediate danger. Taking a few minutes of alone time to breathe and calm down helps bring new perspective that while the situation at hand may be undesirable, it is not a life or death situation. With relaxation comes a new ability to be at ease with yourself. And with ease comes the ability to tap into inner resources, grasp valuable insights, and find new innovative, creative solutions.n nBe With Your Own Feelings Taking time alone creates space to relax, clear out the world, and be with no one else’s feelings but your own. By stepping away from all the outside noise and busyness, you allow new opportunity to clear confusion and sort out your emotions and feelings. Once our head is clear, you can take the time to explore what you truly believe. nnBe Independent A person who leads a self-reliant life is able to think for him or herself rather than meekly accepting other people’s ideas. When you’re relaxing by yourself it’s much easier to enjoy some self-reflection, be true to your own private heart, more independent, and more in control of your personal choices. Increasing your alone time can lead to an empowered ability to trust yourself, trust personal intuition, make decisions for yourself, and be confident in your own ability. Michel Montaigne, French Renaissance writer and scholar is quoted as saying, “A man should keep for himself a little back shop, all his own, quite unadultered, in which he establishes his true freedom and chief place for seclusion and solitude.” Indeed, for all men and women, creating solitude can refresh and lead us into acting genuinely. Starting today, make a solid decision to nurture yourself with solitude. Be sure to block off some time each day where you won’t be interrupted. Then relax and enjoy the alone time essential to your health, inner peace, and happiness. n