It seems to me that so many people do not know how to be alone. I had a conversation with my friend the other day about how it’s funny that people find it weird for people to go to the movies alone. You watch movies at home alone all the time? Why is it such a different thing once you go out in public to do the same thing? I mean, truly, the only difference is that you have to put pants on. So, I’m here to tell you that doing things by yourself is great and you can figure out a lot about by yourself just by dropping your barrier of friends.
Being comfortable while you are out alone takes some time. Don’t worry if you feel like everyone is judging you at first (they probably are all thinking about how they wish they were comfortable enough to do stuff alone). There is all kinds of things that you can start doing alone, so you can work up to doing the big things.
The best things to do alone:
- Going out to eat (coffee shops don’t count – go somewhere where you see mostly groups)
- See a movie
- Go to a concert
- Hiking/long walks/runs/workouts
- Visit things that interest you, whether it’s a museum or poetry festival
- Shopping
- Pamper yourself
- Go to the beach
- Going for a drink
- Roadtrips
- Travel
You can’t always have someone by your side and it’s better to know how to be alone then to spend your time wishing you had someone with you. Going out to do things on your own can makes things a lot easier. You don’t have work with anyone else’s schedule, don’t have to worry about whether that person wants to do exactly what you want to, and you don’t have to worry that there will be any problems with them.
Going to do things alone doesn’t mean that you are going to be spending that whole time alone, because you can meet people while you are doing whatever you are up to! Big groups of chatty friends don’t tend to attract new people, but when you are alone, there is always a chance to meet someone new. People aren’t really your thing? Then don’t worry because you can do a lot while spending time alone. Take a book, journal, or sketch book with you the next time you plan to do something alone. If all else fails, people watching can be all the entertainment that you’ll need.
Now go out and enjoy some alone time!
Remember:
If you make friends with yourself, you will never be alone. – Maxwell Maltz
– Jennifer
