Regular solitude can help to provide clarity of mind. In solitude, you will notice these intuitive gut feelings and learn to hear them – and to trust them. A hint of a feeling that something isn’t right or that someone isn’t quite who they seem is easily suppressed when you have to get the dinner cooked or turn in that report. In our busy daily lives, we tend to gloss over intuitive feelings, or not even notice them at all.

When you are in solitude, with just your own thoughts to occupy your mind, you’ll start to notice that your intuition is strengthened. Once you know these are an issue, you can take steps to address them. When you’re in solitude, you can hear your own thoughts much more clearly – and that means you can pick up on self-doubt, self-criticism and nagging insecurities. Many of us have an internal monologue as a constant companion in any case but few of us pay a great deal of attention to what it’s telling us. If you’re lucky enough to experience solitude somewhere very quiet, or if you’re good at tuning out extraneous noise, then you’ll start to notice more and more of your own thoughts. 6 Benefits of Solitude Hearing Your Own Thoughts However, in today’s hectic world, moments of solitude are something of a luxury, to be grabbed when and where you can. You can create moments of solitude anywhere and at any time you choose – although admittedly it’s easier to notice the benefits if you’re in a cabin in the woods rather than in a bustling coffee shop. You may experience solitude while out for a run, if you’re not actively engaging with other people, or in a crowded station where you’re sitting with just your own thoughts. Don’t work, or read, or attempt to entertain yourself – just be. Turn off all of your devices and let it be known that you’re not to be interrupted. To experience micro solitude, in your daily life, when you don’t have much time, simply stop interacting with other people for a short while. It’s a state of mind which is not linked to your physical environment. For sure, being miles from anywhere helps, but you can experience solitude in your own home, at work and in your normal neighborhood. Solitude does not necessarily mean being physically isolated.

Loneliness can last for years, whereas solitude may last for only a few moments – half an hour or so of solitude here and there will still bring benefits. By definition, loneliness is a state of wishing for company or greater social contact, whereas solitude is a deliberate act of withdrawing from company. To understand the benefits of solitude, it’s important to understand that solitude is not the same as loneliness. Yet there’s a lot of research which shows that solitude can be a very positive choice – providing that it is indeed a choice, and not something imposed against someone’s will. We know that ‘solitary confinement’ is a disturbing kind of punishment, and we know that loneliness can severely impact mental health. Craved by some, and feared by others, our relationship with solitude is somewhat mixed.

Sea of solitude jack