It can be really hard to find “alone” time, especially in a place like college- there’s people everywhere! However, having some time to yourself is super important to grounding yourself, and it can help you recharge. With our new reality, it’s important to remember why alone time is beneficial!
For some people, spending a lot of time with others is recharging and energizing; these people are usually seen as ‘extroverts’ – people who get energy from spending time with others. On the flip side, ‘introverts’ are individuals who get energy from alone time, or not being with others. Usually though, most people generally fall somewhere in between these two definitions. Oftentimes, it’s not as simple as just saying that you either “get energy ” or are “drained of energy” from spending time with others, so there’s clearly a lot of nuance to these definitions. With that being said, people generally tend to identify more with one or the other. Regardless, having alone time is super important, whether you’re an introverted or extroverted person.
College can make it especially hard to find “me” time, or literally anytime by yourself, especially if you’re like me and living in the freshman dorms- it seems like people are everywhere! Also, sometimes it can seem like there’s pressure to constantly be with other people, whether it be studying for a test together, going out to parties or bars, or even getting dinner with friends every night. Additionally, especially being a freshman, there’s a lot of pressure to form really intense, really close friendships really quickly- so that you have a “group” to do activities and things with. Because of all these things, along with phenomenons like FOMO (fear of missing out), it can feel really hard to find any time to yourself. It can feel like everyone else is hanging out with people all the time, and if you’re not someone who likes to constantly be surrounded by other people, then there’s something wrong with you, Just to clarify (if it isn’t already clear): there is nothing wrong with liking spending time with yourself! Personally, I enjoy my own company a lot- and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that!
Of course, having close friends is super important. Navigating intense spaces like college alone isn’t fun, or constructive. Having people around to support you and uplift you when times are hard or are great is so important to life in general. Creating close friendships makes life so much more enjoyable, and it helps you better both yourself and the people around you. Self-care and alone time are actually super important to be able to form those close friendships. Taking time for yourself to recharge and re-energize yourself is imperative.
Additionally, it seems like there can be a lot of misconceptions about alone time or hanging out with yourself. Specifically, I think there is generally the concern that other people are judging you for being alone; for instance, if you take yourself out to breakfast (which is personally one of my favorite things to do!), there is anxiety in worrying that everyone around you is judging you for being alone, or not being social, etc. The truth is that no one else really cares what you’re doing, because they’re so focused on themselves. And while that truth may seem harsh, it can also be kind of freeing; you can do anything you want! Some of my favorite alone-time activities are things like eating breakfast and reading in the morning, or taking a walk and listening to a podcast, or even going to a yoga class by myself.
Now, regardless of whether you’re a more introverted or extroverted person, spending time alone is still so important. It can be really grounding and provide a balance between hanging out with other people all the time. There are so many different ways to find alone time throughout your daily life- even if it’s for five minutes. Find what works best for you and what you enjoy the best.