Then once you’ve got the words down and you’ve bought a nice blanket, it’s time to build it up. “Try 20 minutes a day, even if it’s a walk home on your own, but crucially with your phone, laptop, iPad, everything turned off. You could build up to a goal; there are day spas where you can spend the day on your own in your dressing gown.”If your thoughts become overwhelming, and you can’t stop thinking about how you forgot to cc Shaz into that email so she won’t be able to bcc Kev with the figures (can you tell I don’t work in an office?), Rice suggests seeing the thoughts almost like a sushi conveyor belt. But rather than visualising them as bits of fish, it’s more about watching each one pass without engaging in it. Like you’re people watching, but with your own thoughts and all the thought-people are on a conveyor belt – it's one of the principle practices of mindfulness. “Doing something calming rather than just sitting can help with thoughts too – our brains go into an alpha state when we’re relaxed. Walking, swimming, ironing, all those sorts of things calm our brains down. It’s in that alpha state that you get creative thoughts and vision and ‘aha!’ moments, too.”Alpha states are also helpful for figuring out if you are indeed running from something, or distracting yourself from yourself with the white noise of being constantly busy. Also, writing those thoughts down will help you figure out patterns, and if you’re scared about what those thoughts might be, getting someone who’s close to you to help you work through them might be a good starting point.But the main thing is, keep it fun. “If you don’t know what helps you relieve stress, then why not try a different one each time you’ve got a night in?” suggests Guttridge. “A relaxing bath, watching a certain TV programme, meditating, going for walks, you’ll come across one that helps and have a bit of fun in the process.”So let’s do it together. Let’s clear our diaries, and embrace that Night In By Yourself without seeing it as some big scary thing to conquer. We’re all good at being alone, we’ve just got to figure out how to go about it.