How To Be Alone

How To Be Alone shows you that solitude not only has its benefits, but is a vital component of happiness and that you should embrace it and slowly discover what dosage you need, and why it’s okay to let society think you’re a bit weird sometimes.

The simplest way to get more alone time and figure out if you can see its benefits is to slowly expand the alone time you’re already getting. For example, you might be running or biking on a regular basis, which are already solo activities, so you could just do more or longer sessions of those.

In case you’re one of the lucky few, who can walk to work, that’s another chance to extend your time of solitude. However, a walk in nature is even better (for example, I always walk a set route in the woods when I’m at my parents house in the countryside).

Also, note that listening to music, reading a book or watching a movie aren’t really times when you’re alone, because even if no one is with you, you’re still focusing on someone else’s work and are therefore connecting with them.

Once you feel ready, try this: Go on a solo adventure. Take a week of vacation and spend it abroad, all by yourself. Go hiking for a weekend, make a solo fishing trip, or rent an AirBnB in a city a few hours away.

Very few things build more self-awareness than an extended period of time spent in pure solitude.

What’s one thing kids do all the time, which we tend to stop as adults?

Nope, not laughing (although we do that about 50 times less than kids per day). Daydreaming.

Do you remember standing in your backyard as a kid and just seeing a world full of potential? You could instantly get lost in a train of thought and imagine pirates on your swing set, a dragon flying above your head and a treasure buried beneath the big oak tree.

Psychologists call this state reverie, and it can help us re-connect with some of our best childhood memories, which came from safe time spent alone. Carl Jung explored this state and took notes, finding out that most of his happiest memories came from using his imagination, while being alone as a child.

Taking back this kind of alone time to actively imagine things and connect with yourself can bring back the joy and happiness from your childhood, so don’t disregard this without giving it a try.

Did the name Carl Jung ring a bell when I just mentioned it? If it did, but you couldn’t place him anywhere, it’s likely because you’ve seen his name pop up in…