A promising young actress friend was assessed recently, following the success of a play she was in at her prestigious drama school. All the praise aside, she was also admonished for not spending enough time alone. I was thrilled to hear this, for those are wise words indeed. In her acclaimed book The Rise in which she charts the consistent behaviour of very successful artists, thinkers and other greats, Sarah Lewis discovers that “putting something into the world requires a temporary removal from it”.

Listen to her inspiring talk about the importance of regular solitude for creativity

WE ALL CRAVE THIS “ME TIME”, THOUGH MANY OF US HAVEN’T COTTONED ONTO THE FACT THAT IT KEEPS US SANE TOO.

Whether it’s the escape from a busy work life, a frantic home life, the tedium of simply getting through the day, time alone with our own thoughts and personal space is essential to maintain balance in our over-stimulated, frenetic lives.

For proper connection with our inner landscape we need to create a space in our daily agenda so that we can empty out the unnecessary information floating through our brains, taking up too much precious energy. It is also within the privacy of our own minds that we can reflect and consolidate our experiences.

Getting this time to ourselves it not always an easy task, perhaps you’ll need to get organised and schedule it in to your day or your week and encourage family or friends around you to help facilitate this. Or maybe you could make it possible by getting off the bus one stop early and walking to work appreciating the smell of the flowers, pushing the hum of the traffic around you to a background noise. Or even distracting yourself by choosing a new route to the office - a break in routine could be all it takes to interject some fresh experiences to clear away the monotony of the noise in your head.

There are so many ways to fill this ‘me time’. There is the need for the ‘worldly cloisters’ ( as Einstein called it), as well as the non-accountable time mentioned above and a space to doodle and be creative.

The age-old practice of yoga has stood the test of time, and is rightly being discovered as vital to our mental health. As well as allowing you time for personal introspection and a physical work out, it automatically connects you to a likeminded community of people too.

Whatever the ‘you’ time looks like in your life, Human Givens can help identify your needs and suggest solutions to creating time that will be effective in counterbalancing the people, situations and scenarios that cause you stress. We need to take care of ourselves; it’s not selfish, it’s just keeping healthy. Remember how we are reminded in aeroplanes to put on our own oxygen masks first, before we help others.

From the free ebook 22 Practical Tips to Calm the Chaos of the Creative Mind

1. CARVE OUT TIME FOR SOLITUDE

Creatives absorb more, see more, feel more.

Step back from the constant flow of stimuli taking up too much brain energy and emotional space. Regular breathers for your mind to wander and daydream are essential for your sanity and will keep you more in touch with your genuine self.

You may need to overcome the fear of being alone or the addiction to a reactive existence, but you’ll soon feel yourself tapping into a deeper source of more meaningful connection.

Download the free ebook