Great Reasons to Spend More Time Alone

Amy Taylor December 03, 2015

No man is an island, that’s for sure. We all live in a social world. Life is happier, easier and better when we share it with others. Even when we can’t be with our friends and loved ones physically, we can easily reach out to them through text, phone call, or social media.

But like spending time with others, there are also benefits associated with spending time alone. Having ‘me-time’ is one great way to strengthen your mental health. And below are the reasons why:

It helps you clear out mental clutter.

Being alone is a great opportunity to focus your attention to yourself, including your thoughts and emotions. It’s hard to do things like this when you are with other people. Scheduling time to just be you and alone allows you to self-reflect and really clear out your mental clutter.

You connect deeper to yourself.

Whenever we are with other people, the focus is more about them and others. We often forget about our inner child who also needs our attention, love and time. By being alone, you get to pay more attention to yourself, explore new interests and ideas, and listen to what your mind and body are saying. ‘Me-time’ is also a great way to discover yourself even further. You may find yourself pursuing activities you never thought you’d like. Give yourself time to be with other people, away from the usual things that keep you busy. You will have plenty of self-realisations that will lead you to who you really are, and what you really want in life.

You could gain new friends.

This may sound counterintuitive. But if you spend most of your time with friends, you are less likely to have the chance of meeting new people. Never tried having coffee all by yourself? How about going to the theatre alone? Maybe you should try all these once in a while. Who knows? You could bump into a new friend or perhaps, more than that!

You work harder.

Working on a task alone lets you develop your creativity and resourcefulness since you would have no one to help you out. Sure - two heads are always better than one. But working alone does have its benefits too. First of all, it fosters a deep sense of accountability as there is no one else you can blame for the result but yourself. Second, it makes you do your best.

It improves your mood.

Feeling anxious and irritable all these days? You might be lacking some YOU time. We all need time to recharge. We all need time to do away from stress, our daily routine, and busyness. Me time doesn’t only mean being alone. It involves putting your needs in your priority.

It makes you develop more compassion.

Your compassion towards others gets stronger as you become more compassionate towards yourself. When you create space just for you, you become less depleted and more fulfilled.

How do you practice ME time?

First of all, make it a priority. Schedule it. It doesn’t have to be too long. If you can’t take an hour, then spend at least several minutes. Plan something. Decide on activities that make you feel good and energised. Let others know you need time for yourself too. The more you love yourself, the more love you can give to others and to the world.