New Delhi, April 10 -- Productivity has been equated to being busy. It has been offered up as a hack- whether it is the Pomodoro Technique (25 minutes of focused work with 5-minute breaks) or the 52/17 ratio where one works for 52 minutes and takes a break for 17 minutes. At the same time, self-care is being promoted too- be it journaling, taking up needle work or enjoying a coffee with friends. However, the importance of carving out time to be alone or practising solitude is hardly something we give a thought to. Even when it's known that prioritizing 'me-time' has numerous benefits, including lowering cortisol levels.

"Solitudeitself is a very restorative process for the brain. We are always either interacting or thinking about a task ...