How To Like Being Alone

10 May 2020

Many people associate being alone with loneliness, being cut off unwillingly from others, or feel a sense of having to struggle and do everything themselves without a safety net.

Even creative types, who usually enjoy their own company, can start to feel isolated if given too much of a good thing (hello Covid), so I created this video to help you through your solitude and to share, not really ‘tips’ to dealing with being alone, but more of a shift in mindset.

I hope this video brings you some peace, relaxation and helps you make the most of the alone time that you have.

Nicola xx

Alone Time Is A Luxury

Not everyone gets time to themselves. It is an all too fleeting prize that is earned after endless hours of labour building someone else’s dreams. Acting selflessly in the interest of others.. or simply trying to survive.

And if you feel you’re next thought is ‘they can have some of mine’… it doesn’t work that way. You have been gifted this time alone and it is your responsibility to use it to its full.

If you’re finding yourself drifting without an anchor, try making a list of things you would like to do.

Work that needs doing around the house.

Books you would like to read.

Podcasts you want to listen to.

Notebooks with vast empty pages, crying out to be filled.

Your choices are endless and exciting! What will you do with your spare time?

I close my eyes, I’m sitting, listening to the sounds,

Of all the other beings inhabiting my surrounds.

Once I thought I was, mistakenly by myself,

But the world is full of others plucked from Mother Nature’s shelf.

Nicola Milan

So let’s make a list together of all the fun things you’re going to get up to.

You can start by dividing your list into four different sections:

CREATIVITY

SURROUNDING SPACE

HEALTH & VITALITY

PERSONAL GROWTH

These four sections help maintain your balance, because otherwise (if you’re anything like me) your list will end up far too heavily on the Creative side and will leave very little time left for other, and just as important areas of your life.

Next, write down two to three things you would really, really like to achieve or get done under each section.

For me, this would look something like this:

CREATIVITY:

1) I really want to improve my jazz piano skills. Now I’ve found ‘Piano with Jonny‘ on YouTube (amazing btw) I’m going to work towards developing an easy swing accompaniment style.

2) I need to practice drawing fabric folds. Its one area that I struggle with when I draw, so I’m going to spend some alone time developing these skills.

SURROUNDING SPACE:

1) I’m currently renting so I can’t alter the house, BUT I do need to clean up my art room.

2) I also want to repot all my gorgeous orchids.

HEALTH & VITALITY:

1) I want to do more yoga, so I will do a 10 minute abs class and a 30 minute full yoga session with Boho Beautiful on YouTube each week.

2) I’m going to meditate twice a week for 5 minutes using my own ‘5 Minute Meditation Track’ (which you can download here for free as my gift to you).

PERSONAL GROWTH:

1) I really want to read some new books about gender bias in city design, so I’ll hunt for a good one and read it on my tablet.

2) I need to finish doing Andrew Huang’s awesome Music Production course to level up my skills.

So why not make your own list and have a go at tackling your exciting projects one by one. You’ll feel so good about yourself once you tick each one off.

Nicola x