The National Center for health statistics reported that in 1997, doctors made two million diagnoses of "Acute reaction to stress" when patients were seen for check-ups or complaints of headaches, stomach problems, immune system disturbances and some heart problems. These were usually a direct result of chronic stress and overwhelm, patients were trying to do it all with no time just for themselves, the resulting complaints were making it harder to get things done and causing lasting health problems.

By spending a minimum of ten minutes a day alone you can reduce your stress hormones and improve your immune functions. Using the refrain I'm just too busy to have ten minutes of quiet all to myself is really slowing us down, making us less productive, and opening us to the risk of severe stress related disorders. Periods of solitude have been proven to be as vital to our health as good food, sleep, and water.

There are many ways and places to give yourself your daily solitude; some people like to sit quietly and meditate, others find listening to soothing music helps them recharge. Walking your dog or gardening are also great ways to get your solitude. A few requirements to make sure you are getting the full benefits of your quiet time are to make sure you are being present in the silence or activity you are doing, rather than running over that to-do list again, or thinking of all the things you need to accomplish once you get done with this 10 minute solitude break you are having. The real value of taking at least a 10 minute daily break is that you give your mind a rest. If thoughts come up you can just notice them and release them, or write them down on a small pad so you can look at them again later. We have a great wealth of insight and wisdom within us but we never stop to tap into it.

Make the 10 minutes a priority in your day and you'll find you have more energy, greater clarity, and are able to be creative and focus on the things you would like to achieve and make them happen with ease and be more fulfilled then you had ever imagined.

I usually introduce this idea of taking a solitude break to my clients during the first month of our coaching, there is resistance at first but once they have experienced the feeling of being recharged and the insights they gain they schedule time every day sometimes twice a day for a break just to be alone. One of my clients was stuck in a position she didn't like. The money was terrific and she used that as an excuse to put up with the long hours and the lack of passion she felt day in and day out. I made a request that she set aside 10 minutes a day to just be by herself.

As I requested this she became fidgety and spent the next five minutes listing all of the reasons why it wouldn't be possible to add this one more thing to here overwhelmed schedule. After talking a bit more my client acknowledged that she never had any time just to herself and she found the idea appealing, she started with five minutes a day.

Early in the morning before work she would sit in her sunny kitchen window seat and just watch the sun begin its day. After only four days of this she called me to say that spending this time alone had given here a recharge and she was ready to explore new career ideas and make a change.

She increased her solitude time to 30 minutes a day and within 4 months she had found a job in a similar field doing work that paid more but also gave an outlet for here creativity and left her feeling happy, with a sense she was making a difference at the end of the day.