Could Spending Time Alone Be The Luxury To Top All Luxuries?
I am watching a gardener in a particularly beautiful public park at the start of spring. Alone, he is focused on the task at hand – planting out a wide and impressive border. He looks content, just him and his thoughts, his plants and his intent and I am envious.
In between commuting, busy open plan offices, must-try workout studios and maintaining an enviable online presence, solitude is a scarcity; so rare it seems to be a luxury.
Distinctly different from loneliness – an affliction that affects people nationally – alone time is a restorative, essential way to rebuild yourself and gather your thoughts so you can stride forwards with resilience.
Alone time could mean avoiding burnout. Even the virtual-crowding of incessant emails, unrelenting app alerts, Instagram FOMO you can take its toll.
From sipping a coffee from a beautiful cup or a woodland walk bursting with nature, to booking yourself in to a world-leading spa hotel, investing in alone time is a luxury we can all embrace.
So where do you start, and what kind of alone do you personally need for it to feel like a treat?
Alone time for beginners - a few ideas:
Book a solitary table at a restaurant and care not what people may or may not think.
Switch off your app and phone alerts and hide it from yourself for at least a moment. You can’t take your phone swimming, so that’s an ideal activity.
Find a safe space where you can walk in peace with your own thoughts like one of the secret green spaces we love around UK cities.
Uncover the activity you love to do and pursue it so your alone time is filled with something you love, you won’t feel lonely garunteed.
Find your ideal coffee shop and get there early for your favourite brew.
Read a book. Basic, but brilliant.
The alone time we dream of:
Float at The London Floatation Centre or Nirvana Spa in Berkshire’s Celestial floatation pool.
Take a lesson in serenity at The School of Life before booking yourself some time to yourself.
Book a restful retreat. Yes, other people will be there but you can retreat to your own company at the end of the day.
Book into a tree house and forest bath in France.
Book in to the classic alone time destination - the FX Mayr in Austria – and take “the cure” for a week and hike, diet and exercise your way to serenity.
Take up one of the growing number of travel options for solo travellers. Abercrombie & Kent don’t charge a single supplement for some of their immersive journeys. A night or more of stargazing in Chile’s Atacama Desert would be ideal.
Main image credit: Andrew Draper on Unsplash