In this day and age, we are more connected than ever. According to recent data, we also feel lonelier than ever. How so? It’s quite simple. We may be more socially connected with our peers and loved ones, offline and online, but have we really developed meaningful connections with these people?
We could have dozens of “friends” on Facebook and still feel like something’s missing. We begin to feel lonely and anxious and we don’t know how to deal with it. On the other side of loneliness though, there is solitude.
Solitude becomes precious in our lives the moment we embrace being alone. And we can never achieve that unless we feel connected to ourselves first. Only then will we begin to understand how much solitude can do for us. Not to mention it will strengthen our ties with our loved ones.
Here are 5 ways solitude will help you build a stronger personality and improve your connections:
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1. Solitude increases self-awareness
Spending time on your own can definitely give you the opportunity to listen to your inner voice more. This means you will be able to establish a powerful connection with your true self at a deeper level. Solitude offers you the space you need for introspection, a space where you cannot be influenced by outside opinions.
2. Solitude fosters creativity
Without a doubt, the world’s greatest works of art – from novels and plays, to symphonies and paintings – were created in solitude, total seclusion even. That’s because being alone means being away from distractions; this allows us to enter a flow state where the most creative and remarkable ideas are born. No wonder most artists seek solitude:
Be alone—that is the secret of the invention. Be alone—that is when ideas are born – Nikola Tesla
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3. Solitude improves concentration and productivity
Numerous studies show that spending from 10 to 20 minutes a day meditating or in quiet solitude will make us calmer and more focused. And that’s exactly the key to increased performance at work and better concentration.
4. Solitude builds your mental and emotional strength
This is linked to increased self-awareness. Once we develop the habit of being alone with our thoughts and emotions and being honest about these, we will gain an unusual strength. That is because we get to know our most inner thoughts and become better at practicing self-analysis. This, in turn, will help us become more emotionally and mentally balanced.
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5. Solitude increases empathy and compassion
Solitude and self-love go hand in hand. Solitude feels like a blessing when we are truly connected to ourselves and when we have nothing but love for who we are. This is where empathy towards us and other people is born. Being at peace with our thoughts and actions will breed compassion and unity with the world at large.
So be alone whenever you get the chance to and reap the benefits!
