Finding peace in solitude
Photo by Luisa Brimble on Unsplash.
Growing up, I knew I was a “people person”, or in scientific terms, an extrovert. I love getting together with friends and family. Whether it was getting food or just hanging out at each other’s place, I felt my happiest when I was surrounded by others.
The biggest shift for me since the pandemic began was not being able to see anyone in person outside my immediate family. As we’ve moved into the first full year of this pandemic, I wanted to reflect on how I’ve changed from needing to see others, to finding peace in solitude.
Here are some ways I’ve been making use of my alone time:
Exercising the brain by reading
I remember my elementary school days where I would borrow so many books at once that I could barely finish them before they were due. Although this was somewhere between 2014 to two years ago, I stopped making time for reading. I slowly lost interest in reading outside of my required course readings all these recent years.
It wasn’t until the beginning of 2020 that I challenged myself to read one book a week for one year. It’s safe to say that I didn’t reach this goal but it did re-ignite the spark I once had for reading. Now, I always have at least two books on hold on the library app and a shelf full of TBR (To Be Read).
My reading habits consist of a healthy mix of fiction and non-fiction. One of my favourite fiction novels from last year is Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, and Atomic Habits by James Clear is my current non-fiction obsession.
Starting a journal and writing every day
At the height of the pandemic, I found myself dangerously alone with my thoughts; stress and anxiety clouded my mind and often left me feeling worse and worse. I was inspired by an Instagram page I had been following for years to start journaling. The creator behind this page (@jo_franco) focused on travel content, but she also consistently journals every day.
Journaling has become a space for me to reflect on my day and express myself. I look forward to reading my entries from this year as we will one day look back on this crazy year.
Spending time outdoors
Studies have shown that at least 15 minutes of sunlight are essential to living a health life. I know first hand how a 30 minute walk, every day, could instantly change my mood.
I am guilty of spending too much time watching Netflix or YouTube and it even gets worse once the winter months creep in. But this winter, I made a point of going outside more. This has progressed much more than I thought, that I now find myself hauling my family on hikes every week. The perfect reward after a long hike is taking in the views around you.
Taking up a new hobby
I know I’m not alone on this but I have a list of things that I always wanted to start but had put off for the longest time. With having more time at home, I decided to check one thing off that list which is to start cooking more. I started with some easier recipes like chicken teriyaki stir fry and pasta. But I’m hoping to start cooking some traditional Filipino dishes such as chicken adobo and caldereta. The best part of cooking is sharing my dishes with my family and seeing them enjoy it.
Connecting with family
I like to think that I am close with my immediate family - mom, dad, and brother - but this pandemic has shown me that I haven’t really spent time with them. Prior to 2020, the only time I spent with my parents and brother was celebrating someone’s birthday which was around once a month, and I wanted to change that. Fast forward to today, we’re going on hikes and cooking dinner together at least once a week. It’s great to say that we’ve gotten a lot closer since the first lockdown.
If you were to ask me to choose between a night in over a night out with friends once the pandemic is over, I might still say no. It’ll be, however, a longer no - an answer that I know a part of me will take longer to respond. I’ve definitely found peace with my alone time this year but I’ll always be an extrovert at heart. I would take seeing my friends and loved ones in person over anything (only when it’s safe to do so, of course). Until that day comes, you can find me either reading a good book, journaling, frolicking outside or spending time with my family.
