Solitude: A How-To Guide
Self-isolating at home during this time of COVID-19 is showing to be challenging for many. We’re social creatures and being alone can be stressful, scary, lonely, and depressing. Vox put out a terrific article that goes into detail on how being alone effects us and describes how we cope with being alone. I highlight this article because it talks about the dialectic of being alone while we often only reflect on the negative.
It explains how we can grow as individuals when we are not impacted by the enmeshment with society. We have the opportunity in solitude to grow into our authentic self. We can actually have the space to go deeper into ourselves when we are alone and cultivate who we are. The article explains, “You’ve got to quit seeing solitude as an experiment in subtraction, and start seeing it as an experiment in addition. What you’re adding is your self — a true self, because at last it’s you who’s building it, not anyone else. You’re no longer looking to other people for their attention or approval.”
If we can listen during this time of quiet and pay attention to our values, we can work on molding ourselves to fit who we actually are or wish to be. The article too highlights the importance of daily rituals and routines, along with finding purpose in what we do to reduce our suffering, if not at least build our resiliency to it.
Now, with all the gains that one can achieve from solitude, there can be negative effects as well. This Vox article lays out the cautions of solitude and highlights ways to tolerate the distress and to combat the overwhelm.
Read the full article by clicking the link below; reflect and go ahead and grow!