“He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the world.”

~Marcus Aurelius

Do you acknowledge your need to recharge?

Have you ever tried to be happy by spending time alone with yourself?

Don’t get me wrong, I am not an introvert type of person, actually I am the opposite. But over the years I spent my life as an Expat, I have learned one thing , one specific need of my mind, body & soul – the need to recharge my self by time spent alone.You see, I have noticed that in fact, so many people who don’t take the necessary time to recharge end up feeling isolated, despite always being with others.

This is very common. You are there, but you’re not actually IN THERE. I knew this feeling very well because I’ve been in his black hole before.

When I became a mother of a very active child, I have never felt so little time for myself more than I’ve had in my life.I felt that I am always needed, always need to be there for this little human who keeps on tugging on the edges of my pants and shirt. When I am sitting down, she climbs up to me as fast as the lightning goes.

The times that I actually slept for more than 8 straight hours seems like a dream for me. It happened once, but I couldn’t remember anymore how does it felt. I always give in to this excuse that there’s so much things to do, yet so little time. I was completely wrong.I’m denying myself of one of life’s precious gift!

There are many times where I’ve been “out of it” while hanging out with friends , or just being socially active because I haven’t taken time to recharge. So what are we to do?

Life changes are real.When you are in a different place,  you literally don’t know anyone yet, or you basically don’t know the language, you just had a baby , and this leaves your mental ability to cope comes to a test. Haven’t you realized it yet that there won’t always be people around for you to hang out with, so you’ll need to learn to be happy by yourself anyways.

Are you one of the millions of people who doesn’t like to let go of their FOMO? or their Fear of Missing Out?Do you find yourself constantly hooked on social media and felt like you are missing out a lot?

I knew these feelings. But lately in my life I have chosen to acknowledge my need for a time spent alone and the results were far better than I imagined.This is time where I made an active effort to get to know myself and my values. I am are alone because I choose to be alone at that moment, and I know that I can enjoy myself even without company.

So how am I doing it? Here are some things I love doing in my Alone Time.Most of these things are cheap, inexpensive and free. You just need to have the right motivation.

1.Spending time outdoors appreciating nature.

There’s so much lovely things to enjoy everyday if we will just go out & look. Even in Kuwait that is so hot & could be raining with dust, Nature has been my source of inspiration. A walk in the park, admiring flowers, or beach combing in the beach, or simply just watching the sunsets.There are a lot of beauty out there, so don’t miss out!

2.Minimize yourself to exposure to Negativity

Do you like news? Yes, we appreciate what is going on globally. But too much absorption of all the negative messages is a sure way to kill and worsen your mood. Would you believe that I can actually say I can live without TV. The only thing that we can watch for more than an hour now is the nursery rhymes videos of my little girl :).

3.Meditate on your Values

When you are alone, spend some time considering whether you are happy and if you are acting congruent with your values. Not only will this increase your overall happiness, but it will also help you use your time better.I love doing this while I’m taking a walk and asking myself If I really like what is going on in my life. Sometimes I even do this while I push the stroller and waiting for my daughter to sleep.You can even try doing this while you are preparing your dinner .Unless you hate cooking and tidying up the kitchen then you might get a reverse answer.

4.Alone time means -Take care of ME!

This means exercising, eating right, getting enough sleep, and finding ways to manage your stress. The most common excuse for not taking care of ourselves is that we don’t have enough time. Combine this with your alone time and you will for sure feel better about yourself.

This will also have a positive effect on the time you spend with your friends. The better you take care of yourself, the better you’ll be in your relationships with others. The next time you meet with your friends, they would just be dying to know more about you.When you feel good about yourself, it will show.

You can also try to be involved in new hobbies. I do look forward to doing some art works soon , learning a new language, writing and spending more time in the garden. I am personally grateful that in our new place here, we have our own garden.I knew that some people like people watching, or pretend as tourists. It doesn’t matter, as long as where you find inner peace for yourself, then its your own personal time.

The time I spent with my husband and my daughter are precious. They always make good memories. The time I spent with my faraway friends either online or physical are always good times worth remembering. They make the days go by. But the time I spent alone for myself is good for myself.

I leave you with these words — make something more scarce, and it will grow up. Simple economics.

 

Thank you for reading and I wish you find joy for some quiet time with yourself.