12 Reasons Why You Should Embrace Silence and Loneliness

Today’s world is filled with noise and constant motion. It has become a huge challenge to even find a few quiet moments in peace. The responsibilities on our shoulders have ever been increasing in our daily routine. ‘Slowing down’ is often considered a wastage of time, and it’s commonly perceived that ‘time is money’. On the rare occasion that we do manage to find some alone time, it’s never a particularly pretty picture, is it?   

A stigma has been attached to the concept of solitude. We’ve somehow grown to think that spending any bit of time alone is inadvisable and boring, and every task is done better with a companion. While loneliness may be synonymous with solitude, they aren’t the same. The negative type of loneliness is if someone is actively trying to expand his social circle, or to find a friend or partner to do stuff with, but keeps failing to do so. However, embracing solitude willfully isn’t pitiful or sad in any way – and this article will tell you exactly why!  

Imagine all of the emails you have received today, all the red blinkies on your social media platform notification bars. To add the cherry on top, the phone calls and messages from your loved one. Even though all of these things are valuable assets of one’s life, they still rob an individual of their mental clarity. To get some of the stolen focus back, silence and solitude are keys. If we ask you a question, that we definitely know the answer to, it will further solidify this argument; who is the man you’ve read or heard about who had one of the clearest of minds? If you said Gautama Buddha, that’s the right answer. Now wonder how did the man achieve that state of mind; it was only by the privilege of healthy loneliness and silence.  

Privacy is appreciated by all types of people. Who doesn’t enjoy being in their own cozy little space, with absolutely no one present to judge them, no matter what they do? You could sing your favorite song at the top of your lungs. Watch whatever you want to. Eat whatever you want to. Dress however you want – or don’t be dressed at all, totally up to you! True privacy is a blessing in this day and age, and every one could use some of it to break free of societal norms.  

By nature, if we’re not afraid of judgment, we’ll be whatever we feel like being. We’ll do whatever we feel like doing, wear whatever we feel like wearing, and just be the truest version of ourselves. The only restraint to being yourself out in the open is the fear of judgment; worry about what people would think. With absolute privacy, this threat flies out the window. Only when we’re truly alone, we find who we actually are; and that’s incredibly important if you’re looking to incorporate originality in your personality.  

Being alone, in absolute silence, also provides the perfect opportunity to simply let go of all the worries and complex thoughts that constantly go on in our minds. Without anyone’s nagging, and without having to overhear annoying conversations, silence brings a precious chance to unwind from life, even if it’s for just a little while. Taking such breaks and finding moments of simplicity every now and then plays a huge role in our effective functioning.  

Solitude and silence are also great catalysts for genuine self-reflection. To directly view what the social context has shaped your personality into, you need to detach society away from yourself to get a better look.   

“We cannot see things in perspective until we cease to hug them to our bosom” - Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude 

Only in peaceful silence, and uninterrupted solitude, could we ever find existential moments. It’s only in silence and inward focused solitude that we experience the mental flickers of the mind’s clarity.     

We don’t have to fight off these moments just because we aren’t aware of them; accept them. Reflect upon yourself and value the peaceful environment you’re sitting in. Your silent and alone time shouldn’t be scary to you, but rather fortunate.  

Everyone gets faced with difficult choices to make in life. These should not be made or thought about under any sort of pressure, nor in stress or disturbing noise. To truly weigh the pros and cons patiently, without any distraction, silence can help a lot. In perfect solitude, without anyone to chip in their ideas again and again, you’ll be able to reflect on what’s actually good according to your own perspective. Hence, thinking about difficult decisions in silence and loneliness before finalizing them is advisable.  

Embracing absolute silence and solitude also includes unplugging from all the addictive social media rings and notifications. Without even acknowledging it, a huge part of our society has been addicted to various social media platforms. You just can’t help pick up your phone and check notification even if you get a single minute of free time. It’s as if ‘getting bored’ is a crime in this day and age – we don’t even let two minutes pass without just ‘doing’ something. In such circumstances, moving away and truly embracing a peaceful break from it all could help you out a lot.  

Creativity is nurtured by solitude, as it eradicates all possible human means of disturbance, distraction, or diversion. Besides, our brains need time to replenish their energy, and innovation can be seriously suppressed due to lack of effective brakes. Unwinding, which has been discussed above, plays an important role here too. A person needs to flush out their previous information and thoughts that hinder the growth of new ideas, and such revitalization of our mind comes with internal and external silence. The concept of taking loner breaks may sound like slacking, but you’ll actually get more done with it in a relatively short amount of time. Even working in solitude lets you hear your thoughts more clearly and think openly.  

Stress is a huge threat for an individual’s mental wellness. It impacts our thoughts, which shape our behavior, which ultimately forms habits. Stress makes us more anxious, irritable, and in some cases, seriously depressed. If we go further down in its list of potential threats, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity can also be found. Luckily, solitude allows us to release anxious feelings, and help us get rid of a stress-triggering environment.  

Nowadays, we need to be at the top of our problem-solving game. In such a fast pace life, every situation brings a big or small problem along. Being efficient at doing so requires a clear thought process and strong focus. Solitude and silence enable us to reflect more deeply upon outcomes of possible courses of action, which helps us weigh our plans better, leading to better results. It helps you think more objectively and rationally about all sorts of problems and their possible solutions.  

It’s true that no man should live like an island, totally aloof from everyone else. Friend groups, families, peers and colleagues are important, and they can all be important sources of love, support and guidance. However, too much reliance on them for guidance and support has the potential to cause threat to your own individuality. Remember, you don’t always have to go with what the group thinks or does. Define yourself and find originality without depending upon the groups you associate with. Doing this requires objective self-discovery, and solitude could be your greatest friend in doing that. Formulate your own thoughts, make the decisions independently and execute them exactly how you want to. All of this would boost your self-confidence, and help you find social and emotional independence.  

Possibly, all of this information is might encourage you to be alone more often. It’s best to know precautionary measures associated with being out on your own. Since this article isn’t primarily focused on this topic, we’ve briefly listed down a few key pointers you should keep in mind.  

1. Avoid being alone outside late at night.  

2. Don’t explore or stay in notoriously unsafe areas alone.  

3. Don’t party too hard or drink too much – being high in solitude is highly unsafe.  

4. If you’re going to be alone for a lengthy period of time, let your loved ones know your whereabouts.  

5. Keep emergency contact numbers memorized well.  

Most of us today believe that loneliness is an abyss, however, nothing in this world is always good or always bad. So is the case with loneliness, if practiced in the right situations and in moderation, it can become one of the incomparable boons of nature. In the age where we are continuously bombarded with messages from all four directions, stimulation has now become the default state of our minds. In these circumstances, a little solitude can help us bring ourselves back to the center. This article has revealed 12 meaningful reasons as to why one should embrace their alone time. All the best!