Prioritizing Alone Time

I love spending time alone. My first blog post a little over a year ago was actually about the importance of spending time with yourself, so this is a super fun topic to revisit. It is also one that I am very passionate about.

Let’s get one thing out of the way first… Life is meant to be lived in community!

Seasons of Being Alone

But l think sometimes in life God places us in a season of being alone to show us that we are never truly alone, he is always there. I think there is a lot of growth to be had in that season. I think it teaches us to run to Him first, over the things of the world that only bring temporary satisfaction.

To me, it feels almost like a step by step process. At least the way it panned out in my life. I feel like God separated me from a lot of the world, gave me the time to find myself through Him. Time to sit with my own thoughts. Time to figure out who it is that I am meant to be. Only later, after I went through this season did the intentional community that he has placed in my life come. And I wouldn’t want it any other way.

I have had many conversations with friends about how they don’t like to be alone. Some say that when they’re alone they have to face their own mind, without distraction. Some say they get bored when they’re alone. Whatever the reason, alone time isn’t always a popular concept. But it should be.

Why Is It Important?

It is so important to spend time with yourself. To develop who YOU are. Our culture is constantly consuming. It is unavoidable. You are probably consuming in ways you don’t even realize. From the consumption of social media, music, food, books, to the conversations you overhear, etc. We are constantly being influenced by the world around us which makes it so easy to lose ourselves in that.

Take the intentional time to be alone, figure out what you truly enjoy doing. Take a look at the activities you find yourself doing when you’re with people. If you had to do it alone would you still do it?

Let yourself think! So many people keep themselves busy and distracted by the company of others. Whether it is subconscious or intentional, too often do we ignore the thoughts in our minds rather than taking the time and effort to address them head on. We have so much potential for creativity, and we are limiting ourselves by quieting our minds.

Figure out what you want to achieve, set goals for yourself, make plans to follow them. In what areas do you want to improve, reflect on where you have grown so far.

Learning who you really are and what you really enjoy, it gets rid of trying to “fit in”. It gets rid of people pleasing, it establishes your personal values, and roots them deeply. I think intentional alone time allows us to learn to find joy in the Lord. Rather than looking for circumstantial happiness, always chasing to fill a void.

How to Spend Time Alone

If you aren’t comfortable being alone, figure out why. What do you feel like you are missing? Whatever it is, learn to be that thing for yourself, learn to find satisfaction in the Lord. Getting to know yourself is hard, it can be vulnerable, but it is so so rewarding. It is about learning to be alone without feeling lonely.

I think it is important to note that our time alone should be intentional. It is easy to talk about being intentional with others, but treat yourself with the same effort and respect. At the end of the day the people in your life will change, you will move, you will grow apart. Few will be around for all of it, and we don’t know who. What we do know is that we will always have ourselves, and God. So pour into those relationships just as much or more than you what you pour into others.

What does it look like.

My favorite time to spend time alone is pretty self explanatory, when I wake up in the morning, and when I go to sleep at night. There is just nothing like the peace of the morning and the freedom we have to spend it alone. The quiet of the night allows us to wind down, get comfy, and be vulnerable.

My alone time can range to all sorts of things. Most often this consists of reading my Bible, scrolling through Pinterest, journaling, watching a show or youtube, listening to music, and just being present in the moment while I drink my coffee or tea. These activities vary in intentionality. Sometimes my alone time is merely to rest, other times it’s to grow.

I think it is also important to “take a day”. I like to do this once a week if possible, sometimes every other week if I have a lot going on. “Taking a day” looks like carving out time to spend the day by yourself doing things you enjoy.

For me this often looks like heading to a coffee shop to get some things done, going to the beach, maybe watching sunrise or sunset (or both).

Some days it may look like sitting on my couch with an array of good snacks and watching my favorite movies all day. Essentially, “taking a day” is planning a date with yourself. Whatever it is you need at the time, whether you are craving adventure or rest. Planning a day intentionally, just for you!

Alone Time Brainstorm:

No matter what season you are in. Whether you feel that God has separated you from the world. Or if you already have a community of good people around you. Alone time is always important. So here are a few ways to spend your alone time!

• learn a craft
• move your body
• read a book
• journal
• get in nature
• binge a show
• scroll pinterest
• learn something new
• read your bible
• clean
• cook a new recipe
• make a new playlist/listen to music
• try a new coffee shop

Stay Tuned for next week’s post, the last one of this series… “How to Build Genuine Community” !!

-xoxo jenny <3