Solitude provides an escape from the noise. It gives space to reflect on and apply meaning to the mundane. As you retreat from the busyness, reflect on what matters, and step away from the demands and expectations of life, solitude poses a question if we allow ourselves to hear it.
Introverts and highly sensitive people need time alone. It’s how we recharge. External stimulation uses the batteries. Internal rest powers them back up.

Solitude and Numbness
How do you use moments of solitude? With intention and joy, or with fear and dis-ease?
So many people are terrified of solitude. We distract ourselves from the thoughts that might peak out if we stop for long enough. The TV goes on. The phone comes out. We find ways to reassure ourselves that we are not alone. And yet, this stuff can disconnect and isolate us even further. The very crutches we reach for to feel less alone, make us feel even more lonely.
We choose the wrong stuff. When we spend time alone numbing ourselves to the chaos of life, it gets pretty lonely. We can feel disconnected and cut off. But there is a big difference between getting comfortable with being alone, and living life in such a way that leaves you lonely.
When we neglect solitude, we miss a beat. We literally step in time to a different rhythm. Because, whoever we are, whatever kind of personality type, solitude is the foundation of a healthy, meaningful life. If we all gave ourselves enough time and space to get to know ourselves, we wouldn’t be so desperate to prove to the world that we’re something else.
A Message from Childhood
Quantity over quality. More over less. The kids with fewer friends or even no friends are the weird ones. The loners, geeks, nerds, strange ones. The…”introverts”.
As kids we name call those who are different. But where does that come from?
Often it is rooted in fear and envy. We ridicule in others what we wish we had ourselves. The wish that we had the courage to step through life, comfortable in our own skin, able to travel without a crowd we have to fit into.
Solitude and Loneliness
Many people associate being alone with being lonely. It’s seen as something to avoid at all costs. Right from when we are children, we condition this fear of being alone, which rather than encouraged as a healthy thing, is painted with negative language.
There is of course, an evolutionary element to being a part of community (we survive in groups and die alone). But healthy communities are made of healthy individuals. And we can’t be healthy individuals if we don’t know how to be content when we’re alone.
Solitude and Growth
Solitude is our opportunity for deep, foundational, gentle growth. How we spend those moments alone can massively impact our effectiveness and ability to thrive in the world. Solitude is a choice. It’s choosing to go somewhere you want to go alone, rather than waiting for someone to take you. Or saying yes to the opportunity even though you don’t know anyone (yet). These moments build us, they help us grow, and confront us with chances to build our confidence.
But there are small things that help us grow in solitude too. Reading, writing, getting creative, or learning something new. Then there are bigger things, like travel, starting a business, or embarking on some kind of challenge.
In our solitude we build the foundations for the kind of life we want to design and live. We get to choose the stuff that actually matters to us. To do what appeals to us, learn what draws us towards it, and go to places that spark our curiosity and ignite our imaginations.
When we follow these instincts it opens up a whole ...