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="2c4b">The time spent alone clears my mind and gives me thoughts I would never have otherwise. It is a wonderful time to journal and get more in touch with my deeper self. I find journaling invaluable and have filled many journals with what I have learned.</p><h2 id="bfac">Practicing solitude</h2><p id="9fd8">Solitude is about creating space for yourself. It is about setting aside uninterrupted time to be alone. The only thing you need is your thoughts.</p><p id="b60a">Create some space in your life where you can begin to practice solitude. It can be almost anywhere, anytime, but the quieter, the better. If you never find a quiet place and time to slow down, you will continue to rush through life, not making the best use of your time or the best decisions for you and your family.</p><p id="ef5c">When you find this place of solitude, use it to slow down, clear your head of all the junk you encounter, and find a few moments of peace and quiet.</p><p id="0fe2">Turn off every electronic device, such as a phone or computer. Remove your watch if you wear one and put it out of sight. If there is a clock in view, face away from it, or at least close your eyes.</p><p id="5c75">As you enter the silence of solitude, pay attention to your breathing. Notice each breath. Tune in to your heartbeat. Breathe deeply and slowly. Notice the tension throughout your body. Each time you inhale, breathe in peace. Each time you exhale, breathe out tension. Start by lightening your eyes, releasing the tension around them and your forehead as you exhale. Continue this practice as you move to your cheeks, jaw, neck, shoulders, and lower.</p><p id="4ed8">You can also use this technique when you go to bed. It never fails to put me to sleep quickly.</p><p id="6449">Don’t rush yourself. Take some time. Try to clear out all thoughts of things you must do, of anything that creates tension. Think of peace, joy, and happiness. Think about someone you love or a wonderful time of your life for a moment or two.</p><p id="72fc">Now, open your mind and listen. Sit quietly. What do you hear? Listen to the sounds around you. Listen to the silence itself. Stay in this place long enough to allow your mind to be free from all stress, entering the calm of the stillness.</p><p id="f90a">What thoughts come to you? What do you want to remember? Record what you wish to retain with a pen and paper, preferably in your journal.</p><blockquote id="b4f7"><p>“Solitude is not the absence of company, but the moment when <b>our soul is free to speak to us and help us decide what to do with our life</b>.” Paulo Coelho (1947-present)</p></blockquote><h2 id="9d86">The benefits of solitude</h2><p id="ec13">A few of the many benefits practicing mindfulness in solitude can bring to you include:</p><ul><li>Reducing stress and tension</li><li>Gaining wisdom</li><li>Improving health and well-being</li><li>Enhancing burnout resistance</li><li>Increasing self-awareness</li><li>Enhancing perspectives about life, work, family, and many other things</li><li>Providing time to think about the things that matter most</li><li>Enhancing the life in your life</li><li>Getting in touch with your faith and hearing God speak into your life</li></ul><blockquote id="01fe"><p>“Solitude is the furnace of transformation. Without solitude we remain vi

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ctims of our society and continue to be entangled in the illusions of the false self.” Henri Nouwen (1932–1996)</p></blockquote><h2 id="b976">Final thoughts</h2><p id="1650">Setting aside time for solitude sounds invigorating, doesn’t it? Imagine the peace you can gain from having regular quiet time. Envision what thinking more clearly and deeply will add to your life and the lives of those you love. Feel the satisfaction it creates and how it will change your life.</p><p id="7883">Stop, breathe, release the tension, notice, and allow the benefits of solitude to enter your life.</p><blockquote id="2c34"><p>“In solitude we give passionate attention to our lives, to our memories, to the details around us.” Virginia Woolf (1882–1941)</p></blockquote><p id="7a97"><a href="https://www.billabbate.com/">BillAbbate</a>| <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamabbate/">LinkedIn</a> |<a href="https://twitter.com/billabbate">Twitter</a>| <a href="https://billabbate.medium.com/">Medium</a>| <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/769584381059214">Facebook</a>| <a href="http://www.amazon.com/author/billabbate">AmazonAuthorPage</a> | <a href="https://original.newsbreak.com/@bill-abbate-562195?s=01">NewsBreak</a> | <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@BillAbbate">Truth</a></p><div id="a751" class="link-block"> <a href="https://billabbate.medium.com/uncommon-sense-book-6d1463cac0ea"> <div> <div> <h2>Uncommon Sense Book</h2> <div><h3>Link below</h3></div> <div><p>billabbate.medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*sBnFpkekIT7CxQW-XvpUEA.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="58ef"><a href="https://readmedium.com/d5b8d684dcbc?source=post_page-----834577ca2b4a----------------------">Bill Abbate</a> Leadership Writer and Editor in <a href="https://medium.com/illumination">ILLUMINATION</a></p><p id="84fe">Thank you for reading this article! If you enjoyed it, please check out the others below! Each has been boosted by Medium.</p><div id="2a32" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/5-steps-to-gain-wisdom-47dcbcb89f2c"> <div> <div> <h2>5 Steps to Gain Wisdom</h2> <div><h3>The timelessness of wisdom</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*uBQrn4Qlq2MuyzIDVrEOuA.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="ca51" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/where-did-the-day-go-9093247a95a4"> <div> <div> <h2>Where Did the Day Go?</h2> <div><h3>What you can do about busyness</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*nzilUAw5FxpD1IfI0R0K8w.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

Inspiration | Life

The Wonder of Solitude

The amazing benefits solitude creates in your life

Solitude. What a great word. Don’t you love the sound of it? It conveys peace and calm. In this fast-paced world, there seems to be little time to slow down, much less experience true solitude.

What can solitude do for you? How can you integrate it into your life? Let’s answer these and other important questions.

Why solitude is needed

“In order to understand the world, one has to turn away from it on occasion.” Albert Camus (1913–1960)

Experience teaches us it is good to stop and escape the mad rush now and then. In today’s world, information and visual stimulation constantly bombard our minds. The positive effects of taking even small breaks are well documented, yet how often do we take them? If we have difficulty taking small breaks, what makes us think we can find true solitude?

Yet, without reading the volumes of information on why it is good to take a break and find some quiet time, we inherently know it is good for us. If for nothing else, we need to do it for our health and well-being. I find my most significant leaps forward in life often come after times of being alone.

Have you ever considered why people in the past could think such deep thoughts? They existed without the modern conveniences we enjoy today. These “conveniences” create so many distractions we have less time to think! Think about that for a minute!

“Solitude is as needful to the imagination as society is wholesome for the character.” James Russell Lowell (1819–1891)

Integrating solitude into your life

Before continuing, let’s clarify what solitude is and is not.

The Oxford Languages dictionary defines solitude as “the state or situation of being alone.” When you find solitude, you will usually be alone; however, it is possible to find it when you are around others through practice.

By the way, solitude is not loneliness. They are entirely different ways of being.

“Loneliness is inner emptiness. Solitude is inner fulfillment.” Richard J. Foster (1942-present)

You can practice solitude practically anytime and anywhere. Experiencing even a few moments of it can be helpful, and practicing it more frequently can be life-changing.

Let me give you an example of my practice of solitude. I am an early bird, and my wife is a night owl. This provides me with quiet time most mornings. After a brief study of scripture and prayer, I practice mindfulness. This routine benefits me by adding peace and gratefulness to my life.

The time spent alone clears my mind and gives me thoughts I would never have otherwise. It is a wonderful time to journal and get more in touch with my deeper self. I find journaling invaluable and have filled many journals with what I have learned.

Practicing solitude

Solitude is about creating space for yourself. It is about setting aside uninterrupted time to be alone. The only thing you need is your thoughts.

Create some space in your life where you can begin to practice solitude. It can be almost anywhere, anytime, but the quieter, the better. If you never find a quiet place and time to slow down, you will continue to rush through life, not making the best use of your time or the best decisions for you and your family.

When you find this place of solitude, use it to slow down, clear your head of all the junk you encounter, and find a few moments of peace and quiet.

Turn off every electronic device, such as a phone or computer. Remove your watch if you wear one and put it out of sight. If there is a clock in view, face away from it, or at least close your eyes.

As you enter the silence of solitude, pay attention to your breathing. Notice each breath. Tune in to your heartbeat. Breathe deeply and slowly. Notice the tension throughout your body. Each time you inhale, breathe in peace. Each time you exhale, breathe out tension. Start by lightening your eyes, releasing the tension around them and your forehead as you exhale. Continue this practice as you move to your cheeks, jaw, neck, shoulders, and lower.

You can also use this technique when you go to bed. It never fails to put me to sleep quickly.

Don’t rush yourself. Take some time. Try to clear out all thoughts of things you must do, of anything that creates tension. Think of peace, joy, and happiness. Think about someone you love or a wonderful time of your life for a moment or two.

Now, open your mind and listen. Sit quietly. What do you hear? Listen to the sounds around you. Listen to the silence itself. Stay in this place long enough to allow your mind to be free from all stress, entering the calm of the stillness.

What thoughts come to you? What do you want to remember? Record what you wish to retain with a pen and paper, preferably in your journal.

“Solitude is not the absence of company, but the moment when our soul is free to speak to us and help us decide what to do with our life.” Paulo Coelho (1947-present)

The benefits of solitude

A few of the many benefits practicing mindfulness in solitude can bring to you include:

Reducing stress and tension
Gaining wisdom
Improving health and well-being
Enhancing burnout resistance
Increasing self-awareness
Enhancing perspectives about life, work, family, and many other things
Providing time to think about the things that matter most
Enhancing the life in your life
Getting in touch with your faith and hearing God speak into your life

“Solitude is the furnace of transformation. Without solitude we remain victims of our society and continue to be entangled in the illusions of the false self.” Henri Nouwen (1932–1996)

Final thoughts

Setting aside time for solitude sounds invigorating, doesn’t it? Imagine the peace you can gain from having regular quiet time. Envision what thinking more clearly and deeply will add to your life and the lives of those you love. Feel the satisfaction it creates and how it will change your life.

Stop, breathe, release the tension, notice, and allow the benefits of solitude to enter your life.

“In solitude we give passionate attention to our lives, to our memories, to the details around us.” Virginia Woolf (1882–1941)

Uncommon Sense Book

Link below

billabbate.medium.com

Bill Abbate Leadership Writer and Editor in ILLUMINATION

Thank you for reading this article! If you enjoyed it, please check out the others below! Each has been boosted by Medium.