How to Be Alone

By indulging in the experience of being alone, we can be inspired to find our own rewards and ultimately lead richer, fuller lives.

Our fast-paced society does not approve of solitude; being alone is so often considered anti-social and some even find it sinister. Why is this so when autonomy, personal freedom and individualism are more highly prized than ever before? Sara Maitland answers this question in How to Be Alone by exploring changing attitudes throughout history. Offering experiments and strategies for overturning our fear of solitude, she helps us to practise it without anxiety and encourages us to see the benefits of spending time by ourselves.

The School of Life looks at new ways of thinking about life’s biggest questions. Discover more fascinating books from the series with How to Stay Sane and How to Think More About Sex.

Sara Maitland is the British author of numerous works of fiction, including the Somerset Maugham Award-winning Daughter of Jerusalem, and several non-fiction books, including A Book of Silence. Born in 1950, she studied at Oxford University and lives in Galloway, Scotland.

The School of Life is a London-based enterprise that is dedicated to the most useful ideas relevant to the dilemmas of everyday life. We consider questions like: How can we fulfil our potential? Can work be inspiring? Why does community matter? Can relationships last a lifetime? We don’t have all the answers, but we will direct you towards a variety of useful ideas – from philosophy to literature, psychology to the visual arts – that are guaranteed to stimulate, provoke, nourish and console.

The School of Life books are a series of pocket-sized self-help guides designed to help us tackle the big themes of life whilst navigating our busy modern world. Tailored to those who strive to find more personal fulfilment and emotional intelligence in their day to day lives, whether in personal relationships, as part of a career or through engaging in the environment around us, this series will help to alleviate the stress and anxieties the 21st century can throw at us.
Written and created by a number of expert contributors, such as Hugo Macdonald, Eva Hoffman and Susan Quilliam, each book focuses on a particular theme or idea. Beautifully designed in a minimalist style, titles include How To Live In The City, which will teach you how to master the art of cosmopolitan living and How To Be Bored will help you find meaning in doing nothing.
Each book in The School of Life series is succinct enough for a reader to revisit multiple times, providing practical tools and cultural insights which can teach us how to live happily and live well.