A couple of weeks ago, we sat down with integrative guide and teacher Susan Nassuna, who you might know her from her Writing For Wellness courses and workshops at The Conscious Club. During our talk, we spoke about many beautiful and important things, all sharing subjects of finding inner peace and listening to your heart. Listen to this conversation on our podcast here.

But what can we actively do to achieve a calm body, mind, and spirit? Especially during these rural times including a lot of loneliness, fear, and daunting mental health issues - it is more important than ever to tune into your wellbeing, which is why we want to share 4 expert tips to help you transform feelings of loneliness into comfortability with solitude.

1. Practice doing nothing

Yes, you’ve read that right. Doing nothing is, in a matter of fact, very hard. It requires a lot of practice and patience. We live in a society where we hardly ever sit still without any triggers around us. We are constantly multitasking, phones are ringing and pop-up messages are appearing on our screens. There is always a distraction available that keeps us from fully relaxing or recovering from stress. A very important misconception is that watching a movie or reading a book is a relaxing time. It is most definitely not a relaxing time as your brain is actively processing your activity. If you truly want to achieve a healthy mindset, you need to become more comfortable with doing nothing.

Switch off all your technical devices for 10-15 minutes. This includes listening to music, & podcasts! This is a good exercise to help you sit down and just process existing. Once you start feeling bored, you know your body is finally recovering from everything you’ve seen and done that day.
Take a long walk, preferably through nature. Do not bring your headphones with you and do not call anyone to help you pass the time. Just walk and take in the scenery.

2. Set up your own, private ‘yoga studio’

Yoga is very important when it comes to your wellbeing (both mentally and physically). In these times there are so many online opportunities for you to do your practice whenever you want. If you have space: please create your own special area where you can do your yoga practice, meditation or even just sit down in silence. If you live in a small home, we understand it could be hard to lay down your mat indefinitely in your room or living room. But it is still very important to set the mood to help you relax and become more zen. This is how you do it.

Invest in candles and candleholders. Nothing beats a good practice than being surrounded by candles. We, as The Conscious Club, know how important it is to feel that sense of warmth and comfort of those tiny fires. The good thing is you can always repurpose them as decoration in your home if you need to clear up space. Make sure to surround your mat with your candles before you start.
Finally, find a spot where you can store all of these objects in one place. Perhaps a box underneath your couch will do! This way, it will be easier for you to grab everything you need.
Incense. A great way to really transform the energy of a space is by lighting some incense. Especially with your eyes closed, you will be able to escape the house you’ve been in for so long. For a short while, you will be able to mentally travel to another relaxing area.
Build your altar. If you’ve ever been to The Conscious Club, you know you’ll be greeted by our beautiful altar and statue of Ganesha. An altar is a small sacred space, where you display items that resonate with you and help you clear the energy inside your home. This could be anything that feels right for you, whether it’s crystals, statues, spirit guides, candles, flowers feathers, or herbs. Besides cleansing your energy, an altar also serves as a visual reminder for you to find time to do your practice.

3. Affirmation Journal

Before you sit down with a blanket to watch Netflix - hold on a second. What if you could spend your time on something to help you actively feel better? Take only five minutes before you go ahead and watch your favorite program, grab yourself a notebook, and consciously sit down to write affirmations to yourself. A great way to get started is by answering a different prompt every day - even if you finish writing it in only a minute. All are helpful to boost your self-worth and happiness. Here are a few prompts to try in your affirmation:

I am strong because…
I loved myself today by…
I like … about me because …
I am most proud of my…
Three things I like most about myself are…
I am taking action to reach my goals by….
My positive thoughts impact my life by…
I am closer to my goals because I did … today.
I will do … more because it brings me joy
I learned that I like … about myself today.
I wake up every morning for…
Am am valuable to …. because….
I am confident in my….
Today I felt… because….
I am looking forward to….

4.Realize that being alone is not the same as being lonely

You will have to live your entire life with yourself. so you better get comfortable with being by yourself every now and then. Of course, we are social creators. We crave social contact and the human touch - but we do not constantly need others to feel alive. Although this is easier said than done. It is very hard to become comfortable with just being you, but you might actually like who you are - even if there are no other people around you to confirm your likeability. What would you do if no one is watching you? Let it all out and be your truest self! You can do this by…

…taking up all the space. Cook a lavish meal for yourself, lie down in the bed like a starfish, and treat yourself to a spa-night. No one is bothered by your actions, so you can do whatever you want!
…tuning into old hobbies. Spread out all the tools, instruments or other things you used to do as a hobby. Gather your materials and decide if you want to try one of them out for another exciting project. Perhaps you used to love painting, claying or writing poetry. Seeing those old materials again might trigger some inspiration again!
…dancing by yourself. Blast your favorite music, and dance the night away! Also very nice to do while showering or doing the dishes. Make it as fun for yourself as you can.

And there you have it, 4 ways to help you consciously spend your time when you are home alone. No need to try them all at once though! Take your time and explore what works for you and makes you feel happy. Perhaps try one tip a day to see how you feel about it.