It’s Week Four of DASHA®’s Summer Wellness Challenge, and we’re sure you’re as busy as ever. Responsibilities at work, family obligations, your to-do list of errands – from the quality time you squeeze in for your partner, kids and friends, to those looming work deadlines and the fitness habit you’re developing or maintaining, most of your time is already spoken for. But do you cultivate enough alone time? Henry David Thoreau said, “I never found a companion that was so companionable as solitude.” Solitude gives us a critical opportunity to focus on inner growth and renewal. Here are the reasons solitude is good for your health:
You can increase your concentration and productivity. When you remove distractions and interruptions, you are able to concentrate better and accomplish far more in a shorter period of time.
You have time to think deeply. If you’re always reacting to the external stimulation surrounding you, you can’t recognize or process what is going on inside of you as clearly. Thinking deeply also allows the creative process to unfold unencumbered by the nitty gritty details of the moment-by-moment of your day-to-day life.
It reboots your brain and allows you to dial it back. Your brain needs to rest, too. Rebooting it allows you to clear the mind and re-focus.
It helps to enhance your relationships with others. When you take the time to get to know yourself, you are able to get more out of the relationships in your life and make better relationship choices in general.
You can discover yourself and find your own voice. When you can shut out the noise of the other people around you, you can get in touch with your innermost thoughts and opinions, making the best possible decisions for the course of action regarding the challenges in your life.
How to schedule alone time:
Step away from your desk at lunch; turn away from the technology. When you can, treat your lunchtime as sacred. Something as simple as leaving your phone behind and taking a walk around the block or having your lunch on a park bench can be extremely restorative for your energy, mood and brain.
Get up earlier than your partner or family. Have that first cup of coffee all by yourself, meditate, read the front page of the paper, or daydream. Spend those quite minutes alone any way you see fit. It can be an addictive and wonderful way to start the day.
There are no hard and fast rules about what your alone time should be; just do it. Maybe it’s talking a walk, sitting on the beach, going for a swim, gardening, getting a massage, or taking yourself to the museum. It can be thirty minutes, one hour, or an entire day. Take advantage of the fact that alone time is something you get to make the rules on in your life. But whatever you do it, schedule it — the same you would a visit to the dentist or a car inspection.
Carving out a time for solitude improves your health. Recharge your batteries. Discover the pleasure of your company all over again. Do something generous for your health by hanging out with you.
We’d love to see you pictures and/or videos on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter of what outing you scheduled for yourself this week, and we’d also love to see pictures of what you cooked or ate using Tanya Zuckerbrot’s food tips on pages 10-14 of the 7-Week Challenge Guide. Be sure to use the hashtags #DASHA®week4 and #DASHA®FFactor.
DASHA® wellness & spa is a luxury lifestyle brand and New York City-based wellness center created to offer a truly holistic approach to wellness. To learn more, visit dashawellness.com.
