The Bliss of Solitude

While the concept of ‘solitude’ might sound gloomy to most of us, there’s a lot more to it than just the aspect of being alone. Thanks to the pandemic, we have been forced into isolation and we have collectively come to hate the whole idea of being by ourselves.

Many of us aren’t comfortable with the thought of being alone at all and equate it to loneliness when in reality, we can be alone without being lonely. It can be very likely for someone to feel ‘lonely’ even with their peers around them.

Being an extrovert, I’m very outgoing and social, but just liking to be around people doesn’t define who I am. I enjoy being alone in a lot of instances; sometimes I would talk away to no end while at others I’d like to stay quiet, but that doesn’t make me confused. I’m glad to say that I have a great relationship with myself as much as I do with other people. Obviously, while being pushed into prolonged periods of being solitary will bring about a certain amount of frustration, there are also various ways to explore its bliss.

We as humans engage ourselves into a very complex relationship with our mind, where the fear of ending up alone is so impactful, that it makes us feel like there are no advantages to it at all. Listening to yourself and making a personal connection is just as important as making personal connections with your peers. Being with yourself will help you discover so much more about your abilities and weaknesses. Solitude is critical for self-discovery. It doesn’t make you ‘weird’ if you simply choose to be alone sometimes. The stigma of being singled out often dissuades us from being there for ourselves, eventually leading to self-doubt and misery.

The one concept the pandemic has helped us all master is making the best out of the worst situations. I occasionally imagine myself all alone, on the beachside, listening to my favorite lo-fi tracks, and let myself live in that dreamy world. While some may mock me for it, I know the amount of joy those few moments of unreal serenity bring to me.

When you are free from other’s desires and opinions, you get to know yourself better and trust the judgments you make. It adds to your own confidence and ultimately makes you feel good to look good for a change. Learning to love your own company might be hard at first as you may be very conscious of it, but with time it’ll be as normal as hanging out with your friends.

Living in a world where there are so many expectations that society requires us to meet, we often seem to forget what it is that we want for ourselves in the first place. Sometimes you are so focused that you don’t realize that you’re actually locking yourself up in this imaginary box. Break out from it, and take some time for yourself doing nothing at all! Rediscover yourself and cherish those small moments, because that is the bliss of solitude.