Living in our isolation bubbles can bring great rewards

How I learned about the pleasures of withdrawing from life and living within myself

The first thing I do each morning is open the back door and sniff the air. It contains a surprising amount of information. Recently, it has become a little warmer. It still has a bite, but it lacks the viscosity it had in the coldest months. Now, it carries the scent of leaves and flowers, of turned earth. It is suddenly full of birdsong.

I've spent my whole life falling in and out of isolation - and this is one of the tricks I've learned. Living as an undiagnosed autistic woman until I was nearly 40, I've regularly suffered mental and physical crashes that drag me outside of life for a while. By trying to be like everyone else, I've pushed myself too far, too often.