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Why It’s Okay to Be Alone

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at App State chapter.

Contrary to popular belief, being alone is not a problem. Being alone is often associated with being lonely, but that’s wrong.  Being alone does not mean you have no friends or that no one likes you. Being alone is not a problem.

I enjoy my alone time. It gives me time to think and recharge after a long day. I’m not lonely, and I’m not depressed. I simply just want to be alone. It seems like in college, there is more pressure to go out and socialize, and if someone wants to stay in or be alone, there must be something wrong with them. Well let me tell you, there is nothing wrong with not wanting to go out and choosing to stay in and be by yourself. This doesn’t make you lame or depressed, unlike what most of our society says.

This being said, there is nothing wrong with socializing either. While I do enjoy being alone, I also enjoy being with my friends. I’d say I have a happy-medium between my alone time and my socialization time. I don’t always have to be around people to be happy though, and I think some people have this problem. They fear being alone, even for a few hours.  

There is great value in being alone. There are times in life that you’re going to be alone, and that’s just life. It’s important to learn to be alone, and be content with it. 

When it comes to relationships, I’m also content with being alone right now. I often tell people I’m window-shopping. I like to look and observe, but right now I don’t want to go into the store and try stuff on, and I don’t want to buy something that I’ll end up returning. It’s okay to not be in a relationship, and it’s okay to window-shop. When you stop and observe the world, you learn more about people, and yourself.

Being alone is therapeutic, and I would challenge more people to try it. Try being alone with just your thoughts for a few hours. It sounds scary. Some of our minds are a scary place, but I challenge you to find out why. Revaluate yourself, your relationships, your job, school, or why it scares you to be alone. I’m not saying to cut off all your friends and lock yourself in a room for a week. I’m saying, try sitting alone for a little while, or try staying home and reading a book for a few hours. Try lying in bed, listening to music, and thinking about your life. Think of the positive things you have going on, and your goals for the future. Think of things you can improve on in your life, and how you can improve them. You’ll be surprised what you find out.

There is nothing wrong with being alone. It’s healthy, just like socializing is also healthy. It’s important to have a balanced life. As life goes on, there will be times when you’re going to be alone, and it’s important that you know how to handle that. The first step is being happy with yourself. If you’re happy with yourself, it’ll be easy for you to be in your own company.

If you’re someone who already enjoys being alone, don’t let anyone tell you there’s something wrong with you! It’s hard for people to understand introverts, and you’ll probably never get them to understand you. Just know that there’s nothing wrong with you, and being content with yourself is a great quality to have. 

 

 

Image Sources:

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Taylor currently works in television production in New York City. Her current project was for a Sesame Work Shop show called 'Helpsters' that is now streaming on AppleTV. While at Appalachian State University, Taylor majored in Film and Creative Writing. She enjoys reality TV, college basketball, binge-watching Netflix, eating Mexican food, and cuddling with her cats. Her dream is to be a television show writer. For inquries, she can be reached at taylorpdills@gmail.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylordills/