5 science-based reasons to be alone with yourself

If you’re that introvert who likes to spend time alone, we’ve got good news. It turns out that social isolation isn’t all bad. Scientists have proven the benefits of solitude and thinking alone. Here are six science-based reasons to be alone with yourself.

psychologist, neurologist, doctor of medical sciences

Each of us has four components of the self: body, brain, ego, and essence. For them to work coherently, it is necessary to be alone from time to time.

“Reboot” the brain

Erstea: By nature, man is always in a chaotic flow of thoughts. The normal state of the brain is to analyze and work endlessly. So when we consciously or unconsciously turn off and control thoughts, the brain resists this because it is used to processing information. After all, that is its original task. But if it doesn’t rest, all sorts of health problems can arise.

In solitude, a reboot occurs when we clear the brain of unnecessary thoughts that interfere with life. Of course, psychologists can help in this, but sometimes it is enough to be with yourself and observe the events that occur, making conclusions.

So it is easier to understand what is happening, what worries and causes discomfort. The outside world becomes clearer and easier to understand as we separate the inner and outer states.

Regular doses of communicating with ourselves are really good for efficient brain function.

Filter information

Man is a social being. He vitally needs to commiserate with other people, transmitting a large amount of information. Part of this data is necessary for normal life activity, self-realization, experience. Everything else distracts from the basic functions. After all, someone can give you a completely unnecessary idea, which you will pick up and nurture in your head, not realizing where the thought came from.

Alone with yourself, you need to learn to distinguish your thoughts and beliefs from that imposed by others – society, parents, friends, etc. Your health, mood and success directly depend on it.

Read more about it in the article at the link.

Get to know yourself better

Erstea: It is believed that the founders of great religions – Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed, Moses, Lao Tzu – spent a long time in seclusion and when they returned from it brought the world incredible discoveries. And literary and political figures left their hometowns to be alone with themselves and create brilliant works.

Staying alone, a person reflects, develops, discovers something new and gets to know his or her own self. Hence the conclusion: healthy solitude is a necessity and one of the best ways of self-discovery.

Create

One study found that being alone increases productivity and creativity. People experience a rush of creative ideas while in this state. And generating a large number of ideas leads to the creation of something qualitatively new that has never existed before.

Alone, calming the flow of incessant thoughts, we not only recharge the necessary energy, but sublimate it into creativity.

Relieve stress

If we are overwhelmed with problems and things to do, we have negative thoughts from fatigue that we are unable to slow down because we accept them as part of ourselves. This is far from the case, though. Negative emotions affect us on a subconscious level, having a devastating effect on the psyche and the body as a whole.

Many people underestimate how fascinating it can be to simply immerse yourself in your own thoughts, say Japanese and British scientists. To rid yourself of unnecessary or simply negative thoughts, you should look inside yourself more often. To do this, you need to stay alone and try to understand the issues that bother you.

How much time you should spend alone with yourself

Erstea: It is impossible to say how much time you should devote to this practice – five minutes, an hour or half a day. Rely on your inner sensations.

To help the mind rest, practice meditation – as a way of not evaluating everything that happens. Don’t try to get rid of thoughts, but allow them to just be – it’s okay.

And for those who aren’t comfortable with meditation, we’ve put together a list of alternative relaxing activities. Read the link.