Article Surfing Archive

Many people dread the times when they are left alone. They feel a sense of emptiness or boredom. They start to look out for things to do or people to talk to. Some get into habits like shopping, eating, watching too much television or anything else to "kill the time."

Anytime is a good time to observe your moment to moment existence. But your alone times give you the chance to look deeper and notice the stimulus that cause the circumstances that you have created.

Alone times are actually what you may need to cure your dysfunctional feelings and behaviors.

How to make use of your alone times.

Watch what is going on inside you.

The noise that is going around you daily makes it difficult to become aware of what is actually going on internally. When you are alone and there is no distraction, you can sit and watch your feelings and thoughts. You are able to see those internal pictures that your mind is showing and the voices that is going back and forth in your head.

Being able to do this regularly will show you that your experiences in life are the results of what you see and hear inside. You can then change your external situations by changing the pictures and voices deliberately that have formed your beliefs and behaviors.

Watch those things existing and happening outside.

When you watch other people doing things, you will notice that they do things and act in ways that produce certain outcomes. You will hear voices that inspire as well as those that put themselves or others down. You will witness how people treat each other.

Watching nature and life itself should instill gratitude and awe. Regardless of what is happening around, the sun still rises and sets each day. The seasons come and go. Flowers blossom, and then wither and new ones will sprout. And there's nothing you can do to change that.

Log your thoughts, feelings and observations in your journal.

The alone times are great moments to log your internal and external thoughts and observations. This is the time to check and measure your productivity and activities over a period of time to see whether you are making progress.

You can use this opportunity to reevaluate your strengths and weaknesses. Check on your goals too and check out what you have accomplished. If you have not written your goals down, it is about time that you do so.

Just Be.

At times, just sit down quietly and focus on your breath. Don't resist and fight any thoughts or feelings. Redirect and refocus to your breathing with each inhalation and exhalation. It relaxes and quiets your mind. In your daily world of chaos and stress, you may need this time to find peace within.