enjoy being alone

How I did it: I got into an argument with my best friend because we had been spending too much time together and our identities and happiness had begun to depend too much on each other.

Afterwards I had a couple weeks where I spent alot of time by myself, purposely. At first I found it really hard to adjust to because it was my automatic feeling to want to be around others, and I couldn't distinguish between aloneness and loneliness or prevent the two from merging.

I started writing things down, how I felt about experiences that I had had, or the people around me, and gradually I got to know myself through doing that. I started to analyse myself and my friends, and how dependent I had become on them for a sense of identity, and it made me really want to be independent, and in a way I had an epiphany.

The argument with my best friend made me realise that you can't truly depend on anybody but yourself, and although that hurt to know that, by acknowledging it I was also able to fully appreciate myself and not need other people around me in order to feel complete.

Now I enjoy being alone because it provides an opportunity to get to know myself, and my experience has made me see my friends as still important, but important as people to share my life and experiences with, rather than people to depend on for happiness.

Lessons & tips: To enjoy being alone, you have to bear in mind that you want to get something out of it and make your time productive. If you spend time alone wishing that you were out with your friends, you'll end up feeling lonely - don't let yourself fall into that trap, your friends will be there for you but the most important thing is to be there for yourself and you can do that by dedicating time to getting to know yourself so that you can learn to enjoy your own company.

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May 29, 01:23PM PDT | 0 comments | 2 cheers