What I've Learnt - Kerri Sackville

WHAT I'VE LEARNT

“I was alone in the middle of a forest, hanging from a zipline fifty metres above the ground. This was not within my comfort zone: I am a suburban mum whose idea of adventure is to get a double shot of coffee in my mocha. Still, I was with my two daughters on holidays in Tasmania, and we had decided to try ziplining for fun. The journey up the mountain had been exhilarating, but when I reached the top, the ride jolted to a halt and I was left dangling alone in mid-air.

This was not fun at all.

I hung there amid the treetops, my kids and the zipline staff shrunken to tiny specks in the distance. Up there in the air, cut off from the world, I suddenly felt profoundly and unspeakably alone. There was just me and the trees and the little gusts of breeze and quite remarkable silence. I could hear my own breath in my ears, incredibly loud, and I realised I was panicking. I instinctively reached for my phone, but, of course, it wasn’t there. It was in my bag at the zipline base, six hundred metres away.

I wanted my phone and I really, desperately, wanted to get down.

I’m not afraid of heights, and I wasn’t afraid of falling; I was very securely strapped in. It was the silence and the solitude that were terrifying. I closed my eyes and I wished for the ride to end.”

Why is it so scary to be alone with your own thoughts?
When columnist and commentator Kerri Sackville decided to stop filling every idle moment with distraction and learn to be comfortable alone, her quality of life soared.
From boosting creativity and productivity, improving self-awareness, building resilience and moral courage, to improving relationships and connection with others, a bit of alone time is vital to well-being. But with smartphones, social media, endless streaming and podcast options, as well as the demands of work, family and friends, spending meaningful time on your own can feel impossible, unnecessary, or even indulgent.
In The Secret Life of You, Sackville analyses society’s attitude towards solitude, identifies the roadblocks in the way to unplugging, contemplates aloneness vs loneliness, and looks at the difference between true connection and mere connectivity. Finally, she provides practical advice on how to become comfortable in your own company, in order to enjoy – and even cherish – time alone.

Deborah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.ive.learnt/
Mind, Film and Publishing: https://www.mindfilmandpublishing.com/
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-ive-learnt/id153556330
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TQjCspxcrSi4yw2YugxBk
Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1365850