5 Tips on How to Have Alone Time (and why it’s good for you)

Most of us feel happier whenever we hang out with our friends and family. But doing it often can also drain our energy and can affect our productivity. Introverts experience this the most. When they spend too much time around other people, they end up feeling burned out and that’s why having an alone time is important.

That’s why it’s natural for them to spend time being alone to recharge and to regain their mental and emotional stability. But introverts should not be the only one doing this, every one of us can benefit from having some alone time. Here’s why:

Why Having Alone Time Is Good 

You’ll Have Time to Think. This doesn’t mean to think about the next Netflix series you’re going to waste your time on. This means that you’ll have the time to think about what you want to achieve in life. Like your goals, plans, and aspirations. 

You will only able to truly think about these when you’re alone. Do you randomly think about your goals when eating pizza with your friends? No, right? Only some me-time will allow you to plan for your future. 

You’ll Be More Productive. If you’re working on something, spending time alone gives you the opportunity to lock in your focus. There will be no distractions like noise and comments from other people. All you have is yourself and your willingness to finish the task which will boost your productivity. 

It Helps You De-stress. Constant exposure to friends, co-workers, and social media will slowly drain you. All the information you take from these sources can build up which may result in stress. Having your me-time can help you detoxify and relax by doing your hobby or meditate. 

It Gives Us Time to Reflect and Understand Ourselves. In today’s fast-paced society, most of our time is spent with work, friends, and social media that we don’t even have a moment to think about what’s going on in our lives currently.

Alone time is the perfect opportunity for us to catch up with what’s happening with our lives. This is also the perfect time to understand ourselves better by thinking about our habits or routines and if those are helping us to become a better person. 

Now, spending time alone is quite hard for most of us. Sometimes we prefer spending time with other people or with our gadgets. Here are some tips to counter this. 

Tips on How You Can Have Alone Time

1. Set your “me time”

The easiest way to have alone time is to set a specific time or day for it. It can be 15-20 minutes before you go to bed at night or 1-2 hours during weekends. It will depend on your schedule but setting a specific period will help you to achieve it. 

2. Pick the setting

Choosing a place where you can spend time alone is very important as it can make or break the success of it. You can do it in your room to block outside noise or pick a place you’re most comfortable with.

Other places can be in your nearby park if you want to breathe fresh air or in your local coffee shop if you want to sip your favorite latte while composing your thoughts. 

3. Ditch the gadgets

If you want to focus and utilize every minute of your alone time, you should not use any of your gadgets. Turn them off and place them away from you to avoid distractions. If you need to take down notes, use a pen and paper. Studies also say that you will remember things better when you write them down.

4. Shift your mindset

If you’re still thinking that spending time alone is being lonely, now is the time to change that mindset. Try to avoid going in with negative thoughts and be open to the benefits it will give you. 

5. Do it consistently until it becomes a habit

If you will do your alone time consistently, it will not be hard to find time for it anymore and it will become second nature to you. You will also develop techniques on how to do it better and maximize its full benefits. Try not to skip and let it be part of your routine. 

Final Note 

At first, it can be intimidating to spend time alone but understand that it’s going to take some time to feel comfortable. Just let yourself relax and let your thoughts come out. The outcome will be a fresh mind with new ideas and new learnings. Eventually, you will realize that time spent being alone is not time wasted.