Alonement

Book excerpt: *A Sunday Times Book of the Year* 'A hugely generous and thoughtful book which reminds us of the distinction between loneliness on the one hand and solitude on the other - and emphasises the dignity and adventure of a life lived on one's own terms' - ALAIN DE BOTTON 'A kind, wise celebration of solo living - a joyous invitation to make your own declaration of independence' - DAISY BUCHANAN 'Thoughtful and thought provoking, it made me genuinely excited about spending time in my own company' - FELICITY CLOAKE How to be alone and absolutely own it, by founder of the Alonement blog and podcast, Francesca Specter. Being alone has a serious branding issue. We've only ever had negative language to talk about flying solo - but what about when time spent alone is restorative and joyful? What if it's something you crave? What if it's even just an hour you've carved out for yourself in the middle of a hectic week? Enter: Alonement, Francesca Specter's empowering new word to express valuing your own company and dedicating quality time to yourself, whoever you are and whatever your relationship status. Between shared homes, social plans and smartphone addictions, most of us don't know how to be alone - yet our life-long relationship with ourselves is the most important one we'll ever have. A reformed 'extreme extrovert' who struggled to spend even an hour on her own, Francesca made the resolution in January 2019 to improve her solitude skills. A year later, facing months of lockdown as a household-of-one, she valued those skills more than ever - and began sharing her wisdom with others on how to cherish time alone. Packed with practical tips, insights from key experts and lessons from guests of the Alonement podcast - including Alain de Botton, Florence Given, Konnie Huq, Vick Hope and Camilla Thurlow - Francesca reveals how we can all thrive alone, whatever our circumstances, and harness the untapped power of some meaningful time with me, myself and I.