The Power of Solitude

The Power of Solitude

What is solitude?

Solitude is the state or situation of being alone. You can pursue solitude, either with meditation or by changing your physical environment and go somewhere you can be alone; without social interactions, away from your everyday life and routine, from noises and other distractions; just you and yourself.

Furthermore, it’s important to note that there’s a difference between solitude and loneliness. When we talk about solitude, we mean that you choose voluntarily to be alone and to be ok with that. On the other hand, loneliness is to “feel alone” even if you aren’t. For instance, you can be in a crowded place and feel alone (loneliness) and you can also be at the edge of the world, in the woods, a small village by yourself without feeling alone (solitude).

Solitude has been considered by many people as something negative, something to be avoided, as punishment. Sigmund Freud connected anxiety with solitude and darkness and noted that “in children, the first phobias relating to situations are those of darkness and solitude”¹.(p.407) Additionally, other studies mention that “the social context can impact psychological and physiological functioning. Being alone, in particular, is experienced as more negative on average than being with others, in both normative and pathological populations”. There are studies that show that solitude can lead to positive and negative effects on the person based on age, culture², immigration², personality characteristics and more. In addition to that, if the person seeks solitude, it can lead to relaxation and reduced stress for them³.

There’s no right or wrong in the way we experience ourselves because such measures are different for everybody. For this reason, want to talk about the power of solitude and how it can help you in your everyday life. First of all, to make it clear, I don’t suggest you become a monk and to be alienated from civilization! I simply suggest something that has helped my clients and me in our daily life to see things from another perspective. You can integrate solitude in your everyday life through meditation. You can create an environment in your house, in your room, without distractions, where you can put aside any electronic device and just focus on yourself. While you meditate, you can focus on your breath, on the silence and remove your focus from things that clutter your mind. Meditating can help you have more appreciation for life and the things you have, as well as discover new perspectives you couldn’t see otherwise. You can also go for short walks at night, where there is less noise around you, or anywhere you can relax and find peace.

Moreover, solitude boosts creativity. There are many writers, musicians, artists, martial artists, software engineers, and generally people who seek solitude to get inspired and create. Why does this happen?

 Because you choose to be alone for some time to focus on your craft, away from social interactions and without getting distracted by everyday trivial things. There’s also a study that shows that “unsociability is associated positively with creativity”⁴.

Solitude can build a stronger mentality. When you are alone, you are two things: 1)you and yourself and 2)you versus yourself. When you think and recognize your virtues, your values, your achievements, you get more confident, you become proud of who you are, and happy for what you’ve accomplished so far. On the other hand, in order to grow mentally stronger, be highly responsible and live a meaningful life, you have to face what’s holding you back. You have to face your worst self and everything that stops you from being your best self. Only when you accept the things you want to change in yourself, no matter how bad and difficult it is, you will be able to forge a stronger spirit and mindset. Don’t be afraid of your worst self. Solitude will help you find the strength and inspiration to tame them and pave the way for your best self.

References

1)Freud, S. (1963). Anxiety. In J. Strachey (Ed. & Trans.), The standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud (Vol. 16, pp. 392–411). London: Hogarth Press. (Original work published 1917)

2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30621431

3) https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0146167217733073

4) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191886917304920?via%3Dihub