7 Great Benefits of Being Alone
Perhaps you find yourself spending a lot of time alone. Do you struggle with how to spend that time? Although you have plenty of things you’d like to accomplish, getting focused and staying that way seems to be a challenge when you’re alone.
Are you wasting precious, solitary hours that you could be spending more productively? Believe it or not, you can actually find this time by yourself to be very helpful.
While it is fun to be around a large group of friends and family members, sometimes getting away from them all can be refreshing. There are several benefits of being by yourself without anyone else around.
Consider these benefits of being alone:
- Do whatever you want. Being alone means you’re completely in charge of your decisions. How often does that happen? You get to select what you want to do each hour that you’re without company. Think of it as being rich with time.
- Need to clean the garage? Want to learn how to speak Spanish or German? Never finished that sewing or wood-carving project?
- Having alone time means you can accomplish all those things you’ve been putting off.
- Set a goal and achieve it. Now, that you have no distractions, take some time and set one or two goals. Write them down. List the steps you’ll need to follow to achieve each goal and check off each step as they’re completed.
- You have the power and time to make even your wildest dreams come true.
- Take up a hobby you’ve been considering. Maybe you’ve had a secret desire to participate in a certain pastime that appeals to you. What’s stopping you? At least, make a call of inquiry about getting involved or observe people engaging in the activity.
- Read more. Reading will broaden your horizons and make you a more interesting person. Read what you already love or try a new genre.
- If reading has been less than appealing in the past, go to the library and pick out a book on a subject that interests you. Select a classic novel, a biography of a celebrity who peaks your interest, or a how-to book.
- If you’re alone a lot, then you have plenty of time to get in the best shape of your life. Design your own exercise plan. Include a schedule for when you’ll exercise and the type of exercise you’ll do. Then follow through. You can even change it up to keep it interesting.
- You can be proactive and overcome any physical fitness or health issues you may have.
- Can you imagine becoming the healthy, vibrant person you’ve yearned to be? It’s definitely within your reach.
- Start some soul-searching. What do you want out of life? When you’ve thought about the life you want to live, you’ll be more likely to obtain it. Spend some time considering what’s important to you and what you hope to accomplish in your lifetime. Having extra alone-time means you can create the very life you desire.
- Become really good at something. Nothing makes us feel better than to know that we can do at least one thing really well.
- Maybe for you, it’s playing the guitar, doing yoga, or writing a children’s book. Whatever it is, spend some of your solitary time practicing to become the best you can be at something. It’ll be a great confidence-builder.
Alone time is more than it’s cracked up to be. When you’re alone, you have an abundance of time to spend in ways that bring you the opportunity to learn, achieve, and enjoy your life. Relish the time you spend alone. It gives you the power to do anything you want. Your time is now!
I HAVE to have alone time! These are great tips (and why I seek alone time).
(I won’t say too much… you can go be alone now 🙂 THanks, Amy.
I live alone and am never lonely. I can do any simple thing I want to do, including sitting and looking at the birds, listening to the wind chimes, writing what wants to be said.
I am the same. I enjoy being with a group of people and I am also content to be by myself. Thanks, Kate.
Paul, this is such timely advice for me. I’m about to be alone for 2 weeks. My husband will be gone for the first time after my stroke. I’m a bit apprehensive, but with your list, I’m ready for some productive “me” time.
Remember that friends and family could be just a phone call away if you need someone!
I am an only child so I have had a lot of alone time in my life. Although I am married, I still manage to get some alone time now. I just need to work on produxtivity!
SOme of my most productive time is when I am alone.
I like to sneak away to a quiet place in the evening and just meditate and read. It’s not a long time but it’s needed for my sanity.
Hi Martha and Paul
I just spent a wonderful two weeks over Christmas with my 3 1/2 year old granddaughter.
I had forgotten how much none stop energy childen have at that age. She required constant “together time”. Fortunately there were three adults here to share the joy.
Now that she and her mom have returned to the UK, I have a renewed appreciation for my alone time doing most of the things on Paul’s post.
Little ones certainly have an abundance of energy! It was the days spent like that with my nieces and nephews when they were that age, that I certainly seemed to enjoy the peace and quiet times.
That is a wonderful practice!
I like the benefit of doing whatever I feel like when being alone! I highly appreciate those moments 🙂
Yes! Being alone means you generally get to make the decisions that you want and not be concerned with what others want. If can be purely selfish (and in a good way!)
Hi Paul,
Did I miss the part where you say “catch up on your blog posts”?
Well… of course, there is always that! LOL.
Paul, this is a great topic I’ve never seen anyone write about before. It’s a topic that’s in my face currently. I adore spending time alone! At the same time, I am adjusting to my husband’s passing August 1, so sometimes the quiet seems strange. But I love the freedom to write a post at “dinner time” and not actually eat dinner until 9:30, if that’s what feels right that day. Thanks for a great article!
When my wife is out, or working late, I LOVE to eat whenever and whatever I want. It is a chance for me to indulge in food that I enjoy and that she does not particularly care for.
As a Mom, especially with young kids, you CRAVE alone time!
I still enjoy the odd hour that I have to myself. As much as I love people, they can be energy draining.
I also think it’s important to be able to live alone and know who you are and what you’re about. Some people seem to avoid this experience by all costs, and they’d rather be with someone just to avoid to be alone.
I have heard that parents like that alone time 🙂