Jamie Gane
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Blog

Follow my journey on my blog! I post updates involving amputation, athletics, health and fitness, nutrition as well as my every day life. Get some tips on how you should be performing in the gym, how to improve your diet or what it's like in the day-to-day of an amputee. Take a behind the scenes look at competitions and my training or just read my viewpoints on relevant topics.

Appreciating Your Own Company

As humans, we tend to be social creatures and for those who especially enjoy the company of others, the current climate is particularly challenging. Whether you’re isolating on your own or with family, for some, this period is maybe the most time you have spent with yourself in a while. It’s evident that spending time with yourself allows for a really great opportunity to learn to love your own company but this blog will help you to understand how to to start appreciating this time.

Research actually shows that by spending time on your own, you will:

  • Get to know yourself - Really feeling comfortable in your own skin and in-touch with yourself. You aren’t influenced by society, friends, work or social media.

  • Increase productivity - According to loads of studies, humans actually are more productive with privacy.

  • Get your creative juices flowing - Giving your mind a chance to wander can really pump up those creative engines.

  • Build mental strength - Even though having social contact is really important, solitude can actually increase happiness, allow for better satisfaction and improve satisfaction.

  • Increase planning - Time alone can really make you ensure that there’s purpose in your life. Why do you live such a busy life? What’s the purpose of that?

  • Increase empathy - When you’re separated from people, it can really make you re-connect with people that you wouldn’t normally connect with.

If you really think about it, how many times have you longed for a break? Just a few months ago, I was craving a week in the woods to write, train and just enjoy some time on my own……although the current situation wasn’t quite what I was thinking.

It’s important to realise that appreciating your own company is not the same as appreciating being lonely. In the age of social media and support, there’s no reason for you to be lonely. Remember to reach out if you are feeling lonely.

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Some people really struggle with the lack of stimuli, which is present with social interactions. Being alone can really be a great time for you to have freedom to be yourself, without social or societal pressure. This is also your opportunity to get some really great planning and training done. You can use this time to revaluate your friendships, work, values and other life factors.

Ultimately, you must treat yourself how you would like others to treat you. Start by just taking some time to appreciate yourself. Run yourself a bath, do some reading or explore a new interest. If you find yourself having wandering thoughts, writing them down can really help- blogging, writing or whatever makes you happy. Try to avoid distractions such as your phone when taking time to appreciate your own company.

If you aren’t used to being on your own company, it can feel very strange and scary but this could be the start to becoming a better you! Make the most of it!

Jamie Gane