Spending time alone is essential to regain balance, especially in those moments when you feel overloaded. Several tests confirm that being alone causes major changes in the brain, both in terms of thoughts and emotions
Last update: June 21, 2020
Even if being alone has always been a fundamental need, in our century we are witnessing an increase in the value attributed to social relations. Although being alone with ourselves causes us well-being, the general perception is often that of a situation to be feared and a source of anguish.
Several meditation practices require you to spend time alone. Some of them plan to stay a few days in total solitude and absolute silence, avoiding any contact with the outside world. Would you be able to endure all of this?
Probably, most people would not be willing to handle such a situation. This is because we are not at all used to receiving such a low level of stimulation. Isolating yourself and not experiencing any contact for any length of time is a real test of fire.
To be able to be alone, you need training. Yet, if this test is so common among those who meditate, it is precisely because it brings great benefits. Loneliness, if well managed, makes you stronger.
"All great and precious things are lonely".
-John Steinbeck-
The company sometimes overwhelms
Social relationships demand a lot from us, especially when they are many and important. At the same time, however, they generate great satisfaction. Nevertheless, without even realizing it, they can turn into situations that can take away our time and energy.
Very easily we end up living according to others. Work, partner, family, friends… there are many social areas in which we move daily, all with specific needs and tensions. Many times we come to a point where we are unable to distinguish where our personal sphere ends and where that of others begins. Or viceversa.
Being alone is a way to focus our attention and energy on ourselves. An opportunity to be "selfish" without feeling guilty. These spaces help us to find ourselves again. To perceive how we really are when we are not immersed in our usual context.
Time alone raises awareness
Somehow, even loneliness requires silence. In fact, there is a shift of attention from outside to inside. By ceasing to use the part of the brain that is in charge of speech, other areas begin to increase their intensity.
In particular, there is evidence of how attention and concentration become more powerful. In solitude, thought is sharpened and ingenuity is refined. Thoughts may seem confusing at first, but they will soon begin to take on a well-defined shape.
Being alone for several days generates an awareness effect; that is, we begin to realize ideas and feelings that we were not aware of before. It is a way of awakening by increasing our connection with ourselves.
Being alone and the effects on the brain
Some studies show that loneliness and silence are good for the folds of the cerebral cortex. Apparently, this benefit increases the thickness of the gray matter. The result is that we become more adept at processing information.
All this has a more than positive impact on our cognitive processes. When we return to our normal life, we notice that we are able to learn and memorize more easily. This is good for any intellectual activity, making us more productive.
At the same time, it is very likely that in those moments of loneliness the so-called "Eureka moments" appear. Let's talk about instant inspirations. In other words, all the conditions that facilitate the stimulation of creativity.
To keep in mind…
The ideal would be to be able to count on at least ten minutes a day to devote only to ourselves. This does not mean closing oneself completely to the world, but finding a space in which to be alone. If you can't do it every day, do it at least three times a week.
In times when we feel particularly overloaded or stressed, it is advisable to do more intense exercise, like a solo trip. It doesn't have to be a trip to the other side of the world, just a space that allows you to detach yourself from your daily context.
Be prepared to feel uncomfortable, especially if you've never done it before. Change always implies a certain resistance. However, if you follow his inertia, without a real goal other than being alone, you will realize how it can be an extraordinary experience.
