It’s not just about lighting a lamp!

Human beings are social animals and we want to be in the company of others. Particularly, in the era of smartphones and social media, we have the opportunity to peep into other people’s lives more easily than ever. Some people may even find it difficult to go to the bathroom without their smartphones. Yes! we are living in the world of hyper-connectivity where the internet and smartphones are as necessary for our survival as the bread and butter. Although many of our social needs have been compromised due to the current lockdown, thankfully our unlimited data is on so that we can still connect to other people in the virtual world.

While being busy looking into other’s lives, when was the last time we paused to look within ourselves? The government has advised us to practice meditation for thirty minutes daily to boost our immunity. How many of us are being able to do so? Isn’t it really difficult for many of us to close our eyes and calm our minds for even ten minutes continuously? In the quest of getting connected to the outer world, have we lost the connectivity to our inner space? The renowned inventor and physicist Blaise Pascal believed that “all of humanity’s problems stem from a man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” The appeal by our prime minister to switch off all the lights and just light a candle/lamp/torch while contemplating for nine minutes is an opportunity for all of us to practice solitude.

Although solitude doesn’t have great connotations, it impacts our minds positively for sure. When you’re sitting by yourself glued to your cell phone, or browsing your social media account, it is not solitude. There is a huge difference between solitude and loneliness. It is possible to be with people and still feel lonely whereas solitude is being alone by choice for introspection.

There are many scientific benefits of practicing solitude:

1. Get time to know yourself:- When we are caught up in the hassles of our day-to-day lives, we can see only things directly in front of us but for self-discovery, we need to step back and have a bird’s eye view and solitude allows us to do that.
2. Get the creative juices flowing:- The seeds of ideas germinate in the brain when we are in the state of active solitude. Nikola Tesla once said, “The mind is sharper and keener in seclusion and uninterrupted solitude”. When our minds are free from all the distractions, we tend to think out of the box to come up with unique and extraordinary solutions to ordinary problems.
3. Feel less stressed and more grateful:- In a world of overstimulation, our minds are constantly in an overactive mode which may lead to burnout. When we get some peaceful time for ourselves, our muscles relax, blood pressures decrease and heart rates slow down. During this time, we can contemplate the good things in our lives and feel grateful.
4. Enrich our relationships:- Spending quiet time with ourselves while listening to the sounds of nature, increases our compassion and empathy for others. Also, it improves our emotional maturity and infuses a sense of self-confidence and independence which are the cornerstones of self-respect. It’s important to love and respect ourselves for others to love us.

Conclusion:- When we are free from all the inputs, we output. It’s significant to cherish the relationship we have with ourselves. Albert Einstein once said, “I take time to go for long walks on the beach so that I can listen to what is going on inside my head. If my work isn’t going well, I lie down in the middle of a workday and gaze at the ceiling while I listen and visualize what goes on in my imagination”. If questions are troubling us in any way, it’s better to practice some moments of solitude because there is greater comfort in the substance of silence than in the answer to any question. Ultimately, we are more than the sum of our reactions to others and our surroundings. Today, on 5th April 2020, let’s take this opportunity to recharge our inner batteries while lighting a torch/lamp for at least nine minutes.