The Art of Solitude

Growing up I used to always be surrounded by friends or family. There used to be very few days where I would spend time by myself. Whenever I found myself spending large amounts of time alone, I would feel lonely, bored, and unproductive. As I've gotten older, I've started to crave alone time and realized that spending time alone doesn't necessarily make me lonely. Sometimes it's good to be away from all the noise, and to take some time and spend it all on yourself.

There truly is something beautiful about doing things for yourself, by yourself. At first it may seem a little embarrassing or overwhelming to do things on your own, but it doesn't have to be anything major right away. Something as small as getting coffee by yourself, or even going to see a movie are two things you can easily do on your own. Once you begin to feel more comfortable, I hope you'll be able to see the beauty in solo adventures.

 I think a big part of growing up for me was realizing not every second of the day has to be filled with a ton of action. I've also realized, not everyone is wired the same way. Some people truly need to spend most of their day surrounded by other people, while others may need a couple hours alone to recharge. I love spending time with others and meeting new people, but after all that human interaction, I like to take some time to myself. It took me a while to be able to find peace in spending time alone without feeling lonely, but eventually I began to find middle ground. Everything is about perspective. You aren't lonely because you choose to spend time by yourself, in fact it's actually a form of self-care. If I've had a particularly rough day, sometimes a walk by myself can help clear my head, then I'll go and hang out with my friends. It's all about balance, and understanding your wants and needs.

I think having alone time is good for us to grow and mature as individuals. Spending time alone also gives me time for self-reflection which I think is important. All these things bring me closer and closer to the woman I want to become. Change can be scary, but to me this sort of change is nice and comforting.

-SideNote