Why Solitude Has Helped Me Bloom
It’s well known that self-isolating can cause health issues for many people. Depression and anxiety; leading to physical health problems. But that’s not the case for everyone!
But for me, self-isolation was just the thing I needed to grow! I was unhappy and at my lowest when I was surrounded by people who I had nothing in common with. People who were unhappy themselves and had no desire to do anything about it.
My depression and anxiety were at its peak. My mind knew I wasn’t content and my body ached because it was trying to tell me I didn’t belong in those environments. I had no idea what I truly was interested in or what I wanted to do. I was miserably going along with everyone else’s flow!
So I decided to separate myself from people and materialistic things. I was burnt out on the drama of the workplace and scheming coworkers, I needed a mental break. My supervisor offered a place to work that week that was quiet and the job was a one-person job, it was perfect!
I took her up on her offer and for the next week, I would be working alone, which works out great for an introvert like me. As you know, introverts do their best work alone.
After work hours, I decided to unplug from social media for the week and I only watched educational material. I switched from mainstream music to instrumental and self-growth videos.
I ceased contact with people except for my mother and my husband in case of emergencies. Especially people who made me question myself.
How practicing self-isolation benefited me.
When I isolated myself from people, I started to become an individual. Self-exploration started to take control and I explored different avenues of life to see what would make me tick. At the time, I didn’t have any hobbies, I just had people I mindlessly followed. A lot of the time to go to a bar!
Self-reflection was a big game-changer for me! I reevaluated my successes and my failures. I thought long and hard about what I wanted in life and it wasn’t drinking with people who didn’t care about me.
I always knew I could do more, I was always smart but I didn’t have enough confidence to do anything about it. But with that, comes self-compassion and I forced myself to believe I deserved more.
Through self-reflection, I found my love for reading and writing. I outgrew going bar hopping and grew to love spending time outdoors.
I stopped drinking and listening to music that was turning my brain to mush. I spent time with people who would support my growth and want what’s best for me. Because of this, my anxiety and depression have decreased.
Separating myself from everything I once knew was the key to my happiness!
Suma Narayan has wrote an insightful story about the pains of letting go.
