Why It's Not Weird To Enjoy Time By Yourself

Something that's taken me a long time to accept let alone embrace is the fact that I really love spending time on my own. I'm a classic introvert so when I'm around others for a long period of time I feel myself becoming drained and start day dreaming about being by myself so I can recharge again. Which if you're an introvert will know is pretty normal but as well as not being able to feel energised by other people I've realised I actually really enjoy hanging out by myself. Which even writing that makes me feel a twinge of weirdness but I know that there are other people that feel like this too and they also probably feel like it's something that they're meant to be embarrassed by or made to feel ashamed of. But the older I get the more I realise just how normal it is to enjoy your own company and why it's not weird at all.

WE ALL FEEL A LITTLE LONELY AND THAT'S OK

Loneliness was something I stupidly presumed only affected you when you got older but as I've come into my twenties I've realised it's a very real thing for younger people. I actually wrote an entire post on the subject which you can find here. It's all too easy to think that if you're lonely it's because you've got to a certain point in your life or that it's something that's your fault but it's not. Especially when you get into the later half of your twenties when you're not in education and working full time whether it be in a more traditional job role or you run your own business it's so normal to feel a little lonely sometimes. We don't have an unlimited amount of time to dedicate to our friendships no matter how many we might have.

JUST BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE NORM DOESN'T MAKE IT WEIRD

The whole thing about being normal is a very strange concept but it's something that we all seem to crave as being accepted by others and being liked is something I'm sure we all want to some degree. Anytime someone does something out of the ordinary they are almost immediately judged and I believe there are a few reasons to why we do this. Sometimes it can be intimidating and sometimes it can be jealously but rarely is it because it's actually something that's strange. Human beings are funny creatures and the emotions that we feel are so complex. And ultimately unless it affects someone else why do we really care? It's so easy to get overly consumed by what other people are doing and sometimes it completely clouds what we're doing.

IT CAN BE AWESOME FOR YOUR CREATIVITY

Some people find their creativity thrives when they are around others and I totally see that and in a lot of ways I've also experienced this. But something I've discovered recently is that the only time I can push myself with what I'm doing creatively is when I'm alone. Not allowing outside factors determine how I should or shouldn't be feeling or that I should be doing something a certain way because that's how they do it has been a big game changer for me.

THE BEST THINGS TO DO BY YOURSELF

As I love spending time by myself I've discovered there are a few things that are just that little bit better when done alone;

Working from a coffee shop.
Reading.
Binge watching a tv show.
Going shopping.
A dog walk [does this count as alone though?]
Exercise.

HAVING A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH YOURSELF IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE YOU CAN HAVE

We all probably want to create awesome relationships with our favourite people in the world but what about the relationship we have with ourselves? And it's not an easy one to have by any means because I'm sure we've all experienced some sort of self-doubt or probably not liking ourselves that much at some point in our lives. It takes a lot of time and work to feel at comfort and ease with who you are and not allowing outside factors to try and determine how you should act or what you should strive for. Working on yourself for the benefit of yourself is truly one of the most important things I believe we can do. But it's not something that's encouraged because it's seen as selfish but ultimately outside relationships can come and go but we're always going to be with ourselves.