We should also become savvy about recognizing when the proverbial well is dry, to hit pause on life’s hustle and then seamlessly step into our time alone, for true self-soothing. It makes sense that we crave periods of restoration on our own, stepping into that space to be with ourselves to integrate all of life’s stimuli. In the world we currently all live in, we’re conditioned to be externally focused and overstimulated from sunrise to nightfall. We all need periods of solitude to process life’s learnings, lessons, and experiences. Let’s cultivate the art of being alone, but not lonely.
So, let’s shift that narrative and move you into a new understanding of solitude being necessary time spent on your own, to replenish and renew yourself. It can also feel like an estrangement from others, somehow highlighting a deficiency in your ability to couple up, pair up, or integrate with fellow human beings. Lonely feels almost thrust upon you, as if it’s not of your choosing. Alone also suggests a state of peace, stemming from a rich inner life that’s valuable and esteemed. Whereas alone is about being in solitude-without feeling lonely, while absolutely enjoying your own company. On the one hand, loneliness is marked by a sense of isolation, of lack, like something’s missing-it’s a negative vibe all around. And alone look alike, but they’re very separate states of being that are radically different to the person experiencing them.