Reasons to Spend More Time Alone

Whether you’re a social butterfly or a recluse(隐士) or somewhere in between, everyone can benefit from some alone time every once in a while. 【小题1】 Anyone who spends the majority of their time alone is considered as antisocial or maybe even depressed. Here are a few reasons why you should spend more time with yourself.

【小题2】

Taking care of your brain is just as important as taking care of your body. Any kind of social interaction can be exhausting after a while. Time spent alone allows you to recharge and it allows your brain to refocus and slow down for a bit.

Make your own rules.

When you’re alone, you’re in charge and get to make all the rules. You don’t have to worry about stepping on someone’s toes or catering to others, 【小题3】 And there is no need to compromise or please anyone but you.

Be more productive.

Constant communication in teamwork is encouraged since it improves efficiency and could lead to more innovative ideas. Research shows however, that working alone every now and then can enhance productivity. 【小题4】

Time to reflect.

【小题5】 But even just five minutes of a long time can give you a chance to slow down and look inward. Processing your thoughts and experience is necessary in order to stay grounded and positive. Taking time out allows you to redirect yourself and focus on your goals and purpose.

Personal development doesn't just happen. 【小题1】 Self-development requires hard work, devotion and an ever-growing skill. So，what new skills do you need to power forward?

On your journey toward your best self, you need to set goals. The key is balance : If your goals are too high, you'll get discouraged when you fall short. 【小题2】 The better approach is to think in milestones. If you want to be a novelist, don't set a goal to finish a book in a week. Focus on getting a couple of pages done each day, or on writing a chapter each week. This measurable progress is more sustainable and fulfilling.

【小题3】 To keep going when times are tough, you have to learn how to manage your stress levels. If light walks help you keep your head on straight, schedule one for your lunch period every day. If you need to take Sundays off to recharge for the next week, it's more than acceptable to do so.

Organization is a skill that comes more naturally to some people than others. If you're a naturally messy person, start small. Otherwise, you'll be at a loss. 【小题4】 Clean up your bedroom or your car. If physical cleaning is stressful, start by cutting out files from your computer. Believe it or not, one clean space can set the tone for the rest of your life.

On the road of personal development, you'll run into some barriers. Nobody but you can remove these from your path. 【小题5】 Perhaps anxiety is keeping you from doing your best work. Instead of struggling through it, quietly take a mental health day.

A child plays many roles, such as friend, neighbor, son or daughter. Simply reminding children of that fact can lead to better problem-solving and more flexible (灵活的) thinking, finds a new research from Duke University.

“This is some of the first research on reminding kids about their many roles said lead author Sarah Gaither, a professor at Duke. “Such reminders improve their problem-solving skills and how flexibly they see their social worlds.”

In one experiment, Gaither and her workmates looked at 196 children, aged 6 and 7. All were native English speakers. The first group of children was reminded of their various identities, such as son, daughter, reader or helper. A second group of children was reminded of their many physical features. The rest of the children were reminded of other children’s many roles, not their own.

All the children solved many tasks. The first group of children showed stronger problem-solving and creative thinking skills. For example, when shown pictures of a bear looking at a honey-filled beehive (蜂巢) high up in a tree, these children had more creative ideas for how the bear might get the honey, such as turning over a bowl as a seat.

The second group of children also showed more flexible thinking about social groupings. When asked to group different photos of faces, they suggested many ways to do so. For example, they identified smiling faces VS unsmiling ones, and old VS young faces. The other children mainly grouped people’s faces by race and gender.

“We often only think about ourselves in connection with one important group at a time,” said Christopher Marlowe, a schoolmaster in Durham, North Carolina. “When we remind kids that they have various identities, they think more and remember that there are many other groups. They are more open-minded.”