Weekends have evolved into sacred spaces of solitude. With Abhishek away at university, the rhythm has shifted from bookstore visits and dining out to something more introspective. My (still) makeshift home office has become a cocoon where writing, thinking, and reading flow together in a meditative communion.
As I wrote recently: “The one routine I cherish most—and which has deepened significantly this year—is my weekend writing ritual. Every Saturday and Sunday, starting at 5 am, I dedicate those tranquil early hours to crafting essays for my blog. On average, it takes me about three hours to complete an essay, but during that time, I enter a state of absolute focus and creativity—what many describe as “the zone” or “flow.” I usually begin with a title and a rough outline, which gradually evolves as the ideas take shape. Words flow into sentences, sentences into paragraphs, and paragraphs into cohesive sections until, finally, the essay emerges. By the time I finish, not only do I have a completed piece, but I often uncover a couple more ideas or topics to explore next. This harmonious cycle of creation and discovery has become the rhythm of my weekends, energising my passion for writing and keeping the well of ideas perpetually replenished.”
After writing comes a brief retreat – an hour’s nap that serves as a natural intermission in my day. Then it’s back to the computer for my “Thinks” – a curated journey through the week’s collected articles. This ritual of selecting roughly 30 snippets for weekly posting isn’t just about content creation; it’s a deliberate practice in diverse reading and thought synthesis.
The afternoons belong to deep thinking. Settled in my chair, I don my Bose headset, letting my collection of 400+ songs on Amazon Music create a cocoon of contemplation. The noise-cancelling feature transforms my space into a private thinking chamber where ideas connect, future blog essays take shape, and insights emerge from the intersection of various readings.
Evenings bring a different kind of solitude – the company of stories through OTT platforms. A series or movie provides a perfect wind-down before sleep claims me at around 9:30 pm.
I’ve learned to protect these weekends fiercely, politely declining meetings and calls whenever possible. While weekdays submit to the chaos of meetings and external demands, weekends remain sovereign territory. Here, it’s just my mind and me, with my notebook standing ready to capture the fruits of contemplation.
This embrace of me-time resonates with an excerpt from a recent New York Times review of three new chapter books: “Yes, we are social animals, looking to others to give our lives safety and meaning. But there sure is such a thing as too much togetherness. Writers and artists are particularly inclined to be introverts — it’s hard to make a masterpiece at a dinner party, after all. So I’m not surprised to see three lovely new chapter books from three different countries all singing the praises of good old-fashioned me time…“Other people” are going to be in your life no matter what. But the person who is always going to be there is you, and that’s a very worthwhile person to be friends with.”
In a world that often equates solitude with loneliness, my weekends stand as a testament to the richness of chosen solitude. They’ve become not just a break from the week, but a vital space for personal growth and creativity. In these carefully crafted hours of solitude, I’ve found not isolation, but the deepest form of connection – with myself, my thoughts, and the endless possibilities that emerge when we give ourselves permission to simply be.
[Related writings: Time with Oneself and Mindwandering.]
