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I enjoy social media and staying connected, as much as most people nowadays.

I have an overflowing inbox. I spend a fair bit of time online reading, researching, scanning information.

I stay connected with friends and family on Facebook. And follow political and medical interests on Twitter. I love to read books and listen to music. I say this so you don’t think I am some kind of purist.

There is one thing I do every day that I think would benefit many people to also do.

Take some time every single day, to be 100 percent alone with my own thoughts and feelings.

That means, no input from:

Music

The news

Movies, YouTube, Videos, TV

Social media

Podcasts, audiobooks

Reading books, articles, or websites

Or anything else such as whatever we need to do for work.

You get the idea. It is an energetic disconnection from outside sources of information. From noise, sound, music, and so on, other than the sounds of the natural world and our surroundings.

Does that sound a bit scary?

Many people nowadays do not ever tune out from input and tune into themselves, except when asleep. They don’t take time to be with themselves. It might look like they are alone and being with themselves, but you will almost always see earbuds or reading material.

It is when we are alone with our own thoughts and feelings that we can process the huge amounts of information we are getting nowadays. We can sort our thoughts—and our brain can discern what is important and what is not. Our own active intelligence kicks in. We can use our intellect to examine some of the input. Otherwise, it all just pours in and doesn’t get properly digested.

Which also makes us more easily manipulated by the input we receive. The media. Social media. And so on.

Here are some ideas for what to do or when to take this time. Now, I know some of these things are great times to fit in podcasts, audiobooks, and music, and I do that myself…but not all the time.

A few ways to spend time alone with our thoughts:

Doing housework and chores

Driving

Eating

Walking, biking, doing yoga…without music or guidance

Meditating, again without music or guidance

While doing art or creative projects for fun (not work)

Having a shower or bath

Playing with the kids

Cooking

Journaling

Sleeping

If you find yourself needing to have input, even just music, all the time, even in the shower, when alone driving, when doing chores, and the idea of not having that feels unsettling…you might ask yourself what you are afraid to see or feel when left alone in the quiet.

Most of us have busy minds. Repressed feelings. Things we are avoiding.

It can sometimes feel uncomfortable for a few moments to be alone with ourselves.

Then…it can feel like a relief. Like the lid can come off.

We can sort through issues that are bothering us and get some perspective. It sort of happens effortlessly.

The light can come in.

If this resonates, I encourage you to give it a go. Start small. A few minutes here and there. Build up to the point where you can have input or not—you are okay either way. And every day, take some time to be with yourself.

If it feels hard, remember: I am doing it too. We can do it together.

~