Humans crave connection. Group work, team collaboration, and spending time with family and friends are all wonderful ways to invest your time. However, when your battery feels like it’s running on “low,” it might be a signal that you need to recharge and spend time alone. By reminding yourself that we can all benefit from a little alone time, you’ll learn to place value on this important habit.

Reignite your creativity. 

When you’re surrounded by other people, it’s normal to start mimicking their behavior or taking on their interests. For instance, if all your friends are ordering the chicken, don’t be surprised when you do, too. Or if the people you spend time with are really into rock climbing, you might start saving up for your own belays. But as much as going with the flow of your friends can be fun, it can cause you to stifle your own creative ideas. Instead, allow yourself some solo time to clear your head, write down your thoughts, and pursue your own creative passions.  

Reestablish your connections.  

In a world where we send and receive messages all day, every day, it’s helpful to power down from time-to-time. This means disconnecting your apps, shutting down your email, and disengaging from communicating (temporarily of course). Your brain is often so overstimulated by continuous content and ideas, that it gets exhausted and overwhelmed. If we allow ourselves time every day to disconnect, we will come back recharged and ready to reengage in quality relationships.

Remind yourself what you love.  

Do you enjoy writing in your journal, painting, going for walks in nature, or getting in a good work out? Sometimes these activities can be left on the back-burner as we deal with the issues right in front of us. By taking time by yourself to plug in your headphones and dance like nobody’s watching (because they won’t be), you’ll find yourself smiling and feeling fully you! 

• Take yourself out for coffee.  
• Find a hammock and hole-up with a good book.  
• Open the crosswords and give your brain a new challenge.  
• Invest in paints and let your creative juices flow. 

Revive your productivity.  

Collaborating with coworkers inspires new ideas and fun conversations; however, it can also be very distracting. Instead, find time each day to put your head down and focus fully on the task at hand. This might require you to close your office door or move your laptop to a quieter location. You might need to get to work 30 minutes early before the space gets too loud. Whether you’re writing a report or cranking out client emails, you’ll be amazed at what you can get done when it’s just you.  

Especially if you’re an extrovert, being around the energy of others is exhilarating! But if you find yourself starting to feel especially tired, irritable, or overwhelmed, you’d likely benefit from spending time alone. Even if it’s just for 5 minutes a day, and then 10 minutes next week, schedule a “Meeting with Me” into your calendar. Your mind, body, and attitude will thank you for it.  

Do you know who else could benefit from some time alone? Your kiddos! First, read this blog to assess if they’re too busy, then make sure you’re building in alone time for them each day.