It’s a fortunate circumstance when you’ve grown such a wonderful circle of people in your life. These are people you can rely upon for a multitude of reasons.

And while there are some people who only come into your life for a season, they still leave a mark that you feel gratitude towards.

While it’s a blessing, there still needs to be room for solitude. The constant pinging and messaging of our interconnected world does wonders to keep us in each other’s lives, but the temptation to keep it running from sun up to sundown is taxing.

There needs to be time to slip away.

Not necessarily the physical act of retreating somewhere off the grid (if that even exists anymore), but the conscious act of turning off the world and tuning in to our own needs. It’s the recharge needed to replenish our empathy, drive and creativity.

In today’s world, the idea of solitude probably needs a new definition. It’s not the physical act of escaping from the world, but the deliberate act of selfishly stealing time for yourself.

Unfortunately, the hardest part about making this happen is removing the guilt felt for those you temporarily ignore during this time. If they’re as close as you think—they’ll understand.